<em>Rice Cake Mold</em>, 19th century. Porcelain, glaze, 1 7/8 x 2 3/4 in. (4.8 x 7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, The Peggy N. and Roger G. Gerry Collection, 2004.28.125. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 2004.28.125_PS11.jpg)

Rice Cake Mold, 19th century. Porcelain, glaze, 1 7/8 x 2 3/4 in. (4.8 x 7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, The Peggy N. and Roger G. Gerry Collection, 2004.28.125. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum (in collaboration with National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Daejon, Korea), CUR.2004.28.125_Heon-Kang_photo_NRICH.jpg)

DOWNLOAD

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

How were rice cakes made?

Traditionally, rice is soaked in water, then ground into a paste using a mortar and pestle. The paste is then steamed and pressed into a patterned mold (like the one here) that has been oiled with sesame oil. Each family had their own mold with a unique design. Sometimes the cakes are filled with sweet bean paste. Have you ever eaten one?

Interesting. No, I haven’t. So the rice cake mold is kind of like a family seal?

In a way, it is. The cakes were typically prepared for family events like holidays and weddings.

How did this Korean rice cake mold work? It looks kinda like a stamp!

That's a very astute observation! The ricecakes are made from a rice-based paste and were indeed stamped with molds like this one after being formed into disks.

The stamps or molds decorated the treats that were usually made for special occasions like holidays and weddings.

I see! Seeing that mold made me crave some 떡, especially some sweet rice cakes. 감사합니다! Thank you!

I can see why! You're very welcome!

Tell me more.

This is a Korean rice cake mold. The rice is soaked in water, then ground into a paste using a mortar and pestle. Then, the paste is steamed and pressed into a well-oiled mold like this one.

The cakes can be filled with sweet bean paste or other fillings, and designs vary too!

That’s incredible! Thanks again!

Rice Cake Mold

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

MEDIUM Porcelain, glaze

Place Made: Korea

DATES 19th century

DYNASTY Joseon Dynasty

DIMENSIONS 1 7/8 x 2 3/4 in. (4.8 x 7 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 2004.28.125

CREDIT LINE The Peggy N. and Roger G. Gerry Collection

EXHIBITIONS

Arts of Korea

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

CAPTION Rice Cake Mold, 19th century. Porcelain, glaze, 1 7/8 x 2 3/4 in. (4.8 x 7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, The Peggy N. and Roger G. Gerry Collection, 2004.28.125. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 2004.28.125_PS11.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 2004.28.125_PS11.jpg., 2017

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.