Bowl with inlaid decoration of paired fish

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    second half of 12th century
  • Geography

    Gangjin or Buan kilns, Jeolla-do province, Korea
  • Material

    Stoneware with white inlay under celadon glaze
  • Dimension

    H x W: 5.5 x 19.3 cm (2 3/16 x 7 5/8 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1917.293
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1917.293

Object Details

  • Description

    Bowl, flaring ovoidal; low rounded basal ring; three silica spur-marks on base.
    Clay: hard, sonant.
    Glaze: grayish sea-green celadon; crackled.
    Decoration: inlaid in white in paste under glaze: four medallions, one in bottom and three equally spaced around walls, of paired fish.
  • Provenance

    To 1917
    Yamanaka & Company, to 1917 [1]
    From 1917 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1917 [2]]
    From 1920
    The Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] Undated folder sheet note. See Original Pottery List, L. 2552, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.
    [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

    Cranes and Clouds: The Korean Art of Ceramic Inlay (November 5, 2011 to January 3, 2016)
    Korean Ceramics of the Koryo Dynasty (May 9, 1993 to August 7, 2011)
    Korean Art (May 9, 1993 to January 29, 1997)
    Chinese and Korean Ceramics (July 11, 1986 to March 13, 1987)
    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)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    Gangjin or Buan kilns, Jeolla-do province, Korea
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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