This porcelain jar from Korea is an excellent example of later Joseon Dynasty (19th Century) pottery. This jar features two elaborately painted underglaze cobalt blue dragons amidst swirling clouds reaching from a flaming jewel, with stylized “acanthus leaf” borders. Modeled after Chinese works from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, this example reflects the influence of Korean folk (minhwa) painting on a traditional courtly motif, seen mostly obviously in the highly expressive interpretation of the auspicious dragon, a distinctive feature of later Joseon blue and white ceramics. 

At the beginning of the Joseon period, this style of jar was reserved for royal and other high ranking households, with production reserved for royal kilns. The number of dragon claws corresponded to rank or social station. This style moved from exclusively royal production to provincial kilns by the later 19th century. Earlier examples hew more closely to the Chinese style, with lighter blue glaze and finer features, while later examples like this offer a bolder, more distinctly Korean interpretation of the genre.