Celadon Prunus Vase with Inlaid Peony Design in Underglaze Copper

This celadon prunus vase (maebyeong) with inlaid decoration was made in the mid-Goryeo period. It is 34.6 cm high, with a mouth diameter of 5.6 cm and a base diameter of 13.5 cm. The main design, a peony, was inlaid using underglaze copper, a red pigment. The shoulders are full and the waistline curves smoothly, and the small mouth is finished with great elegance. Within a border of four-petalled lotus flowers, chrysanthemums and scrolling vines are inlaid in black and white. On three sides of the body, large peonies are inlaid in black and white, with red pigment added at the tips of the petals. Around the foot a continuous key-fret pattern is inlaid, and above it a border of lotus-petal shapes is formed in white inlay, with grass motifs decorated inside the petals in black inlay. This division of the whole into three sections, with a band of lotus petals encircling the lower part, is a feature seen in plain celadon prunus vases of the first half of the 12th century. The use of red pigment at the tips of the peony petals in particular lends the piece a dancing, lively vitality.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물