White Porcelain Bottle with Cloud and Dragon Design in Underglaze Cobalt Blue (1984-1)

This white porcelain bottle with a cloud-and-dragon design in underglaze cobalt blue was made in the Joseon period. It is 25.0 cm high, with a mouth diameter of 5.3 cm and a base diameter of 7.7 cm, and was found as a pair with another White Porcelain Bottle with Cloud and Dragon Design in Underglaze Cobalt Blue, a treasure of the same type. The mouth flares slightly outward and the lower body is full, while the somewhat long neck gives the bottle a lithe yet dignified shape; it is thought to have been a wine bottle used at royal court banquets. The entire body is painted with a dragon amid clouds, its three claws raised and whiskers streaming as it reaches for a yeouiju, a wish-fulfilling jewel. This type of design was derived from the dragon motifs on early Ming dynasty Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, and unlike the style that appears from the mid-Joseon period onward, it is highly realistic. There is no other decoration; only a single horizontal line encircles the foot to finish the design. It is the only known example of blue-and-white porcelain bearing a dragon design, and is presumed to date from the first half of the 16th century, probably made at a state-run kiln in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. This white porcelain is a typical example of early Joseon ware and an important resource for the study of ceramics.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물