Description

Austere, pure, and simple are adjectives often associated with white porcelain ware of the Joseon dynasty. The jar’s minimalist aesthetic reflects the values of frugality and pragmatism, ideals associated with the new ruling ideology of Korean Neo-Confucianism. The complete absence of underglaze cobalt blue decoration in this work was also related to its artist’s sustainable response to the socioeconomic crisis caused by two devastating, multiyear famines that began in 1670 and 1695. The 18th-century Joseon government enforced strict sumptuary laws that banned luxuries, including cobalt blue, to preserve the state’s financial resources.