Dish with inventory inscription dated 1832

Historical period(s)
Joseon period, 1832
Medium
Porcelain with transparent, pale blue glaze
Style
Bunwon ware
Dimensions
H x Diam (overall): 4.7 x 17.8 cm (1 7/8 x 7 in)
Geography
Korea, Gyeonggi-do province, Gwangju city, Bunwon-ri village, Bunwon kilns
Credit Line
Gift of Elizabeth Lee Berger
Accession Number
F2002.7
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Dish

Keywords
Bunwon ware, Joseon period (1392 - 1910), Korea, pale blue glaze, porcelain, WWII-era provenance
Provenance

From early 1960s to 2002Rear Adm. George Washington Pressey (died 1966) and Elizabeth Lee Berger (1913-2002), Washington, DC [1]From 2002Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Elizabeth Lee Berger, October 21, 2002 [2]Notes:[1] According to information in the object's record, the vessel was acquired in Korea by Mrs. Berger and her first husband, Rear Adm. George Washington Pressey (died 1966), when they were posted there in the early 1960s. [2] See Deed of Gift, acknowledging the acceptance of the object as gift to the Freer Gallery on October 21, 2002, copy in object file.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Mrs. Elizabeth Lee Berger 1913 - 2002

Label

This porcelain dish was made at the Bunwon kilns for use in the Joseon royal court. Tapped into the glaze with a pointed instrument is an inventory inscription giving a date equivalent to 1832. The inscription indicates that this dish was one of eighteen pieces of varying sizes registered in the storehouse of the Ja-Kyong Pavilion, a building within the Changkyong Palace built in 1777 by King Chongjo for his mother.

Published References

Korean Art in the Freer and Sackler Galleries. Washington, D.C. no. 10.17, p. 176.

Collection Area(s)
Korean Art
Web Resources
Korean Ceramics
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use