White Porcelain Wine Bottle with Characters in Underglaze Cobalt Blue and kintsugi repair

This vessel from the Joseon Dynasty (18th-19th Century) features an elongated neck, wide bulbous body, and short foot, as well as four characters in a clear, dark cobalt underglaze. The characters 祭, 玄, 酒, and 甁 (offering, hyeonju, wine, and bottle) are the jehyeon jubyeong, Chinese characters inscribed on wine bottles used for Confucian ancestral rituals. During these rituals the vessel would hold Hyeonju, literally translated to “mysterious wine” but in actuality just pure water. The vessel would be placed at the center of the altar and the water would be poured as an offering for ancestral spirits. By using a vessel marked with Jehyeon Jubyeong, a family visually demonstrated that the contents were sacred and designated solely for honoring their lineage. This was part of a larger cultural shift in the Joseon period where courtly practices were adopted as a part of everyday life and objects once reserved for royalty became more readily available.

This jar was part of a Japanese collection and features kintsugi repairs, continuing it’s legacy as an important object. It comes with a kiribako that describes it as a “sake bottle,” perhaps pointing to it’s previous purpose.

14.6 × 30.5 cm

Price upon Request

Octagonal White Porcelain Wine Bottle with Characters in Underglaze Cobalt Blue

This vessel from from the late Joseon Dynasty (19th Century) features an elongated neck with a lip, wide body with gently faceted sides, and a octagonal faceted foot, as well as two characters in a clear, dark cobalt underglaze. This shape of vessel was not molded but rather carved from a smooth, wheel-thrown bottle while partially dried. The eight sides were cut away using a specialized flat-edged blade or bamboo knife. When fired, the white glaze flowed away from the facets, increasing the appearance of depth and dimension. The eight sides align with Confucian philosophy of intellectual discipline and restraint, popular during the period.

The characters 福 and 壽 (wealth and longevity) are within stylized lotus flowers. The relaxation of royal restrictions of decoration in the late Joseon period allowed these characters to be used on vessels outside of the court for the first time. The geometric caligraphy style is intentionally meant to mimic the vertical lines of the facets. Bottles of this variety were used in wealthy homes to store and serve rice wine during banquets, special gatherings and ancestral rituals. Additionally, the octagonal shape, minimal decoration, and stylized Hanja characters made vessels like this aesthetically pleasing to the scholars of the period and who often used them as decor when not filled.

This jar was part of a Japanese collection.

15.2 × 30.5 cm

Price upon Request

Goryeo Period Celadon Bowl with Black and White Inlay

This celadon bowl produced during the later part of the Goryeo Dynasty (10th - 14th Century) is a classic example of the green/gray bisaek glaze with black and white floral motifs found in works from the 12th and 13th century. It features a motif of chrysanthemum medallions amidst a decorative design on the exterior and lychee designs with decorative border trim on the interior. This bowl was likely produced at the kilns at Yucheon-ri in Buan, modern day Jeollabuk Province in South Korea, based on similar examples found during arechological excavations.

This work comes from a Japanese collection and has a kiribako.

18.7 × 6.4 cm

Price upon Request