Bowl

Object Details

• Description

  Gui-yal mun ("brushed" pattern) bowl, walls opening wide to everted rim. Outer wall trimmed to the midpoint of body, leaving a noticeable shift of angle. Foot trimmed as a typical jukjeol ("bamboo joint") shape. Small spiral incised in the center of the foot interior. One long vertical hairline crack from the rim. A trimming mark on the lower wall. Foot trimmed irregularly. Bottom heavy.

  Clay: Brown stoneware. Not too sandy; some small inclusions.

  Glaze: White slip brushed on by a tool called gui-yal (from which the term for this technique originates). Brushed in two separate strokes on the inside, first by a smaller stroke near the base and a larger one covers the top near the rim. Outside wall is brushed on by 3--4 separate strokes. Fingermarks on exterior wall, possibly from handling before slip is dried. Entire vessel glazed with milky bluish-gray clear glaze; viscous where thick. Six scars left on the bottom of the foot, caused by stack-firing. Sand debris sticking to the interior.

• Provenance

  From 1959-1963 to 1996

  Mr. Gregory Henderson (died 1988) and Mrs. Maria Henderson (died 2007), West Medford, MA, acquired in Korea from an unnamed dealer during 1959-1963 [1]

  From 1996

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Mrs. Maria Henderson in 1996 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] Mr. and Mrs. Henderson acquired this object in Korea whilst they were living in Seoul (according to an undated note in the object record). Also, see Curatorial Remark 1, Louise A. Cort, August 27, 1996, in the object record.

  [2] See Freer Gallery of Art Accession List, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

  Cornucopia: Ceramics of Southern Japan (December 19, 2009 to January 9, 2011)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Mrs. Maria Henderson (died 2007)

• Origin

  Jeolla-do or Gyeongsang-do province, Korea

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• 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

  1590s, 1500s

• Name

  Henderson, Maria ("Maia")

• Place

  Jeolla-do, Gyeongsang-do province, Korea

• Topic

  Art, Buncheong ware, Joseon period (1392 - 1910), Clear glaze, White slip, Stoneware, Korean Art, Ceramics

• Culture

  Koreans

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)