Bowl with inlaid inscription

Historical period(s)
Joseon period, 1420-1450
Medium
Stoneware with white inlay under transparent glaze; gold lacquer repairs
Style
Buncheong ware
Dimensions
H x W: 8.5 x 19 cm (3 3/8 x 7 1/2 in)
Geography
Korea, Gyeongsangbuk-do province
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1898.86
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bowl

Keywords
Buncheong ware, clear glaze, Joseon period (1392 - 1910), Korea, lacquer repair, stoneware, tea, white inlay
Provenance

To 1898Yamanaka & Company, to 1898 [1]From 1898 to 1919Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1898 [2]From 1920Freer 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.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Yamanaka and Co. (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Label

This bowl made for table use is an example of the common Joseon-period ware called buncheong, which is characterized by decoration executed with white slip (liquid clay) inlaid into densely stamped or incised motifs, then coated with a clear glaze. Around the outside of this bowl are stamped the characters for the name of a government office, Gunwi insubu, located in Gyeongsangbuk-do province. The office called insubu was in charge of warehouses used to store pottery acquired for official use. This bowl was probably made to order at a pottery workshop within Gyeongsangbuk-do province.

Published References

Oriental Ceramics (Toyo Toji Taikan): The World's Great Collections. 12 vols., Tokyo. pl. 252."Selon les ecritures." Kim En Joong. France. p. 161.

Collection Area(s)
Korean Art
Web Resources
Korean Ceramics
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. 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 Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use