The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of February 7, 2023

Pitcher with Inlaid Figure and Willow Design

청자 상감 인물무늬 주전자 (靑磁象嵌人物文注子)

1200s

Korea, Goryeo period

(918-1392)

Celadon ware with inlaid white and black slip decoration

Diameter: 14.3 cm (5 5/8 in.); Overall: 20.4 cm (8 1/16 in.)

Gift of John L. Severance 1917.356

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

As one of the oldest board games invented in China, this East Asian chess is still played in international competition venues.

Description

Representations of the elite’s elegant gatherings also appear on craft art designs, particularly depictions of the four accomplishments celebrated as cultivated pastimes by the scholar-literati elite—that is, playing stringed instruments and chess, and practicing calligraphy and painting. The image on this rare Korean inlaid celadon of two figures sitting together under a tree is comparable to renderings featuring the accomplishment motif of playing chess, or baduk in Korean.

Citations
Jang, Nam-won. "The Tea and Celadons during the Goryeo Dynasty : Considering the Celadon Tea Utensils [고려시대 茶文化와 靑瓷]." Misulsa nondan (2007): 129-162. www.dbpia.co.kr
Yi, Jong-min. "The New Trends on the latter 14th Century's Inlaid Celadon of Koryŏ Dynasty: Focusing on Table Ware [14世紀 後半 高麗象嵌靑磁의 新傾向: 음식기명을 중심으로]." Korean Journal of Art History vol. 3 (1994): 5-40. www.dbpia.co.kr
Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.
Goryeo: The Glory of Korea [대고려, 그 찬란한 도전]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2018.
Lee, Young-hee. "The Study on Techniques and their Interrelations among Craft Arts of the Goryeo Dynasty [고려시대 공예기법 연구 상호관련성을 중심으로]." Misulsa hakbo 22 (2004): 133-170. www.dbpia.co.kr
Sparkles of Jade: Goryeo Celadon [高麗青磁 : ヒスイのきらめき]. Ōsaka: Ōsaka: Shiritsu Tōyō Tōji Bijutsukan, 2018.
Cleveland Museum of Art, and Sŏn Sŭng-hye. The Lure of Painted Poetry: Japanese and Korean Art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2011. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 23, no. 10
Exhibition history

Cleveland Museum of Art, (3/2/ 2011 - 8/21/2011); "The Lure of Painted Poetry: Cross-cultural Text and Image in Korean and Japanese Art" cat. 10

The Lure of Painted Poetry: Cross-cultural Text and Image in Korean and Japanese Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (April 15-August 21, 2011).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1917.356