White Porcelain Jar with Cloud and Dragon Design in Underglaze Cobalt Blue

This is a typical jar of the Joseon period, 35.5 cm in height, with a mouth diameter of 14.7 cm and a base diameter of 14.7 cm. From a low, vertically set mouth it gradually expands, reaching its widest point at the shoulder, then gradually narrows again, flaring slightly outward at the base. Three large flower-shaped medallions are set into the body, and within each a dragon is painted in blue pigment, playing amid the clouds with a yeouiju, a magic wish-fulfilling jewel. A black dot placed on the dragon's eye gives it a vivid, finishing touch, and the blue pigment, being somewhat faded, is close to a greyish blue. The glaze has melted well, is transparent and lustrous, and the surface has a greyish-white tone with a network of fine crackle lines. It is unusual in having no other decoration beyond the dragons within the large medallions, and from the composition of the design, the shape of the vessel and the colour of the glaze, it is presumed to have been made in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, in the latter half of the 18th century.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물