Bottle

Object Details

• Description

  Bottle-vase, elongated neck tapers from low wide body on broad base, low foot - the typical Korean Yi wine-bottle shape. Lower part of neck slightly flattened, as if accidentally compressed before firing.

  Clay: white porcelain

  Glaze: clear, feldspathic, Ch'ing-pai type (aqua tint), medium gloss, a few original flaws and impurity inclusions. As far as could be seen, the inside in unglazed beyong about two inches into the neck. Bearing edge of foot unglazed.

  Decoration: none.

• Provenance

  To 1980

  Mr. and Mrs. Samuel D. Berger, Washington, DC collected by Ambassador Samuel D. Berger (1911-1980) [1]

  1980

  Estate of Samuel D. Berger, Washington, DC [2]

  1980

  Graenum and Emma Berger, New York, and Mrs. Samuel D. Berger, Washington, DC [3]

  From 1980

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Graenum and Emma Berger and Mrs. Samuel D. Berger, May 1980 [4]

  Notes:

  [1] See correspondence (copy in object file) between the Freer Gallery and Mr. Graenum Berger, brother of Mr. Samuel D. Berger, and Mrs. Elizabeth L. Berger, widow of Mr. Samuel D. Berger; a letter dated on May 22, 1980 from the Freer Gallery to Mr. Graenum Berger in particular states that the object, along with other two Korean pieces also offered as gift at the same time (F1980.187 and F1980.188), was from the estate of late Mr. Samuel Berger (1911-1980).

  A receipt issued on March 6, 1980 indicates that these Korean objects (F1980.186, F1980.187, and F1980.188) were delivered from the residence of Mrs. Samuel D. Berger in Washington DC to the Freer Gallery as gift.

  Samuel D. Berger was a U.S. Ambassador to South Korea from 1961 and resided there for about four years until 1964.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See note 1.

  [4] See note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  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)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Samuel D. Berger (1911-1980)

  Mrs. Elizabeth Lee Berger (1913-2002)

  Mr. and Mrs. Graenum and Emma Berger

• Origin

  Bunwon kilns, Gwangju city, Gyeonggi-do province, Korea

• Credit Line

  Gift of Graenum and Emma Berger and Elizabeth Lee Berger in memory of Ambassador Samuel D. Berger

• 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.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1780s, 1890s

• Name

  Berger, Samuel D., Berger, Graenum and Emma, Berger, Elizabeth Lee

• Place

  Gwangju city, Gyeonggi-do province, Bunwon kilns, Korea

• Topic

  Porcelain, Art, Joseon period (1392 - 1910), Pale blue glaze, Korean Art, Ceramics, Bunwon ware

• Culture

  Koreans

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)