Jar with design of dragon

Object Details

• Description

  Compressed globular form, low foot, low flat lip.

  Clay: buff, porcelain medium.

  Glaze: transparent, finely crackled; whitish gray at top running to buff below.

  Decoration: coarsely painted loops and scrolls in iron under glaze.

• Label

  The undulating brown line circling this jar is an abstract dragon painted rapidly by a village potter. In Korean folklore, the dragon creates rain and controls the movement of water. Some other jars of this shape have tiger motifs. When paired with the White Tiger of the West, the Blue Dragon of the East wards off evil spirits.

• Provenance

  To 1897

  Charles A. Dana (1819-1897), New York to 1897 [1]

  From 1898 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased at auction, the Dana Collection Sale, American Art Galleries, New York February 24-26, 1898, no. 39 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Undated folder sheet note, object file. Also see Original Pottery List, L. 37, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.See also, Curatorial Remark 14, Louise Cort, July 18, 2005, in the object record.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Korean Ceramics (February 4, 1997 to August 7, 2011)

  Korean Art (December 17, 1984 to June 23, 1986)

  Korean Art (March 20, 1982 to 2 April 1984)

  Korean Art (June 4, 1982 to September 23, 1982)

  Korean Art (July 15, 1981 to September 15, 1981)

  Korean Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to October 13, 1978)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Charles A. Dana (1819-1897)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Hwanghae-do province, Korea

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1650s, 1690s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Dana, Charles A.

• Place

  Hwanghae-do province, Korea

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Joseon period (1392 - 1910), Clear glaze, Stoneware, Korean Art, Ceramics, Unvitrified porcelain

• Culture

  Koreans

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)