Celadon Ewer in the Shape of a Turtle-dragon

A celadon ewer made around the twelfth century, the height of Goryeo celadon, 17 cm high, 10.3 cm across the base and 9.9 cm across the foot. It takes the form of a turtle sitting on a lotus, made up of an opening for filling, a spout, a body and a handle. The face is closer to a dragon's than a turtle's. The horn on its brow, the whiskers, mane, eyes, teeth and scales are all made with a practised hand, precise and yet soft. The pupils are dots of black pigment, and the upper and lower teeth are shown in neat rows. The scales of the neck and chest are incised, and the claws are carved in relief to look real. The back is carved with a turtle-shell pattern, with the character 王 (king) written in each cell, and a twisted lotus stem attached behind becomes the handle. At the centre of the shell, small finely modelled lotus petals are closed round an opening for the water. The glaze is grey-blue, with a soft lustre. The finely and precisely rendered turtle, with its elegant jade colour, makes this a fine example of the beauty of the sculptural celadons of the time, modelled on the animals and plants then in fashion.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

National Treasure · 국보