White Porcelain Horn Cup with Coloring in Underglaze Iron

This is a horn-shaped cup (gakbae) made in the form of a cattle horn, 17 cm long with a mouth diameter of 5.3 cm; the tip is naturally coloured black to heighten its realism. The origins of this type of horn cup can be traced to a category of vessel called ugakhyeong dogibae (an earthenware cup shaped like a cattle horn), found in Gaya and Silla tombs of the Three Kingdoms period. Comparable examples, such as celadon cattle-horn-shaped cups, also exist from the Goryeo period, showing that this form had been produced over a very long span of time. The pure white clay body is finely coated all over with a pale bluish-white porcelain glaze, and it is presumed to have been produced at the Beoncheon-ri or Gwaneum-ri kilns in Gwangju. It is a rare example of an early Joseon work and stands as an important piece of material evidence.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물