Jar with design of dragon

Historical period(s): Joseon period, second half of 17th century

Medium: Stoneware (unvitrified porcelain) with iron pigment under transparent glaze

Dimensions: H x W: 15.2 x 26.5 cm (6 x 10 7/16 in)

Geography: Korea, Hwanghae-do province

Credit Line: Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number: F1898.43

On View Location: Currently not on view

Classification(s): Ceramic, Vessel

Type: Jar

Keywords: clear glaze, Joseon period (1392 - 1910), Korea, stoneware, unvitrified porcelain

Provenance: To 1897Charles A. Dana (1819-1897), New York to 1897 [1] From 1898 to 1919Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased at auction, the Dana Collection Sale, American Art Galleries, New York February 24-26, 1898, no. 39 [2]From 1920Freer 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.

Previous Owner(s): Charles A. Dana 1819 - 1897
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

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.

Collection Area(s): Korean Art

Web Resources: Korean Ceramics; Google Cultural Institute

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