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Bowl with inlaid inscription

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IIIF

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At A Glance

Period

1420-1450
Geography

Gyeongsangbuk-do province, Korea
Material

Stoneware with white inlay under transparent glaze; gold lacquer repairs
Dimension

H x Diam: 8.5 × 19 cm (3 3/8 × 7 1/2 in)
Accession Number

F1898.86
EDAN ID

edanmdm:fsg_F1898.86

Object Details

Description

Tableware bowl, used in Japan as tea bowl. Flaring sides, slightly warped, roughtly trimmed low foot with double gash in clay on base. Spur-marks on foot rim, gold lacquer repairs.

Clay: gray, porcelanous, hardness 9.

Glaze: clear, feldspathic, unglazed on areas of foot and a few bare patches on lip, abraded dirty patch in center bottom.

Decoration: inlaid white slip under the glaze. Center bottom: conventionalized flower. Sides: inside and out, repeated small circles with borders top and bottom. Outside there is an additional border of spiky-petaled flower-heads. Five characters are in spaced circles reserved near top border.
Inscriptions

The inscription reads "Kunwi insubu [chn]," as transcribed by Mr.Yang, Korean section, Library of Congress. Kunwi is the name of a town in North Kyongsang province.
Provenance

To 1898

Yamanaka & Company, to 1898 [1]

From 1898 to 1919

Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1898 [2]

From 1920

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

Notes:

[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 570, 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

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

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 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

Gyeongsangbuk-do province, Korea
Credit Line

Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Type

Vessel
Restrictions and Rights

Usage Conditions Apply

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