Jar

17th century

1 of 6

Object Label

By the seventeenth century, porcelain had overtaken stoneware as the ceramic of choice for wealthy Koreans and underglaze brown—once favored for decoration of Buncheong stonewares—enjoyed a brief revival, this time on porcelain vessels. These large, bulbous storage jars were formed by joining two bowls, one inverted on top of the other. The swelling surfaces of the jars give dimension and energy to curvilinear forms, as seen in particular in the swirl of the highly abstracted dragon.

Caption

Jar, 17th century. Porcelain with underglaze iron decoration, Height: 13 9/16 in. (34.5 cm) Diameter at mouth: 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm) Diameter at base: 3 7/16 in. (8.8 cm) Diameter at widest point: 15 1/16 in. (38.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, The Peggy N. and Roger G. Gerry Collection, 2004.28.236. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum (in collaboration with National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Daejon, Korea))

Title

Jar

Date

17th century

Dynasty

Joseon dynasty

Geography

Place made: Korea

Medium

Porcelain with underglaze iron decoration

Classification

Ceramic

Dimensions

Height: 13 9/16 in. (34.5 cm) Diameter at mouth: 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm) Diameter at base: 3 7/16 in. (8.8 cm) Diameter at widest point: 15 1/16 in. (38.3 cm)

Credit Line

The Peggy N. and Roger G. Gerry Collection

Accession Number

2004.28.236

Frequent Art Questions

  • Were these decorated jars common in Korea?

    Yes, there are a great number of these that were made. This was a storage jar for use in the home. However, the material, porcelain, was a relatively elite one. Common earthenware and stoneware were more accessible to the average person.

Have information?

Have information about an artwork? Contact us at

bkmcollections@brooklynmuseum.org.