Buncheong Flat Bottle with Inlaid Lotus Design

Buncheong ware is a highly distinctive type of ceramic that emerged as inlaid celadon declined at the end of the Goryeo dynasty, taking on forms, patterns and compositions different from white porcelain. Its name derives from hoecheong sagi (grey-blue ware) given a coating of white clay, that is, "buncheong hoecheong sagi", often shortened simply to "buncheong". This bottle, 19.1 cm high, with a mouth diameter of 5.7 cm and a base diameter of 10 cm, has a texture no different from Goryeo celadon apart from its use of two techniques characteristic of buncheong ware: inhwamun, uniform stamped patterns, and the powder-coating method of covering the surface with white clay. This suggests that it is a work of the early Joseon period. As for its decoration, a bead-shaped band encircles the neck below the mouth, small chrysanthemum motifs are stamped on the shoulder, and a lotus design is inlaid around them to form a border. On the flat front and back of the body, bead-shaped, diamond-shaped flower forms have been made, within which lotus flowers carved in black-and-white inlay are set. On both sides, vine patterns are inlaid in black against a background of stamped chrysanthemum motifs. At the base a lotus design is inlaid, and a bead-shaped band encircles the area around the foot. This buncheong flat bottle with inlaid lotus design is unusual in that the vine patterns on both sides of the body and the lotus border on the shoulder are left in the natural background colour. Its foot is high relative to the size of the body, giving the piece a stable stance, and the proportions of its various parts are well balanced.

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Where it is

Region

Buk-gu, Daegu

Designation

Treasure · 보물