Wine ewer in the form of a melon

Object Details

• Description

  Ewer: melon-shaped body; lotus flower cover; four spur marks within low basal ring.

  Clay: hard, gray, porcellanous.

  Glaze: soft greenish-gray celadon; lightly crackled. Base glazed.

  Decoration: in under-glaze reserve on body; incised details; in dark iron-oxide slip under glaze. Cover is mismatch, and has restored handle.

• Label

  In the unusual decoration of this melon-shaped ewer, the potter used black inlay as a solid background for the blossoms, leaves, and tendrils of a melon vine. This ewer is the only known example of this "reverse inlay" design.

• Provenance

  To 1909

  Yamanaka & Company, New York to 1909 [1]

  From 1909 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company, New York

  in 1909 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] Undated folder sheet note. Also see Original Pottery List, L. 1923, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [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

  The Power to See Beauty (October 14, 2017 to September 6, 2022)

  Cranes and Clouds: The Korean Art of Ceramic Inlay (November 5, 2011 to January 3, 2016)

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

  Korean Ceramics of the Koryo Dynasty (May 9, 1993 to August 7, 2011)

  Korean Art (May 9, 1993 to January 29, 1997)

  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 Art (March 20, 1980 to March 3, 1981)

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

  Korean Art (June 19, 1969 to November 10, 1976)

  Korean Art (November 2, 1959 to November 22, 1971)

  Untitled Exhibition, Korean Art, 1958 (July 10, 1958 to April 15, 1959)

  Centennial Exhibition, Gallery 16 (February 25, 1956 to July 11, 1958)

  Early Chinese Pottery and Scultpure, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1916 (March 6 to October 15, 1916)

  Untitled Exhibition, The Japan Society, February 1914 (February 1914)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Gangjin kilns, Jeollanam-do province, Korea

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1100s, 1200s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Yamanaka and Co.

• Place

  Gangjin kilns, Jeollanam-do province, Korea

• Topic

  Goryeo period (918 - 1392), Wine and wine making, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Inlay (process), Green glaze, Stoneware, Korean Art, Ceramics, Flowers

• Culture

  Koreans

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)