Storage jar with design of a dragon chasing a flaming pearl
Korea, Gyeonggi-do province, Gwangju, Bunwon kiln, Storage jar with design of a dragon chasing a flaming pearl, 19th century, porcelain with decoration painted in cobalt blue under clear glaze, The John Yeon Collection; Gift of Richard Louis Brown, public domain, 2017.58.18
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Storage jar with design of a dragon chasing a flaming pearl
- Related Titles
original language: 白磁靑畵雲龍文壺
original language: 백자 청화 구름 용 무늬 항아리
- Artist
- Date
19th century
- Period
Korea: Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)
- Medium
porcelain with decoration painted in cobalt blue under clear glaze
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
18 3/4 in x 12 in diam.
- Collection Area
Asian Art
- Category
Ceramics
- Object Type
jar
- Culture
Korean
- Credit Line
The John Yeon Collection; Gift of Richard Louis Brown
- Accession Number
2017.58.18
- Copyright
public domain
- Terms
In East Asia, dragons are associated with the sky and rain, and thus regarded as divine powers that bestow agricultural abundance. At the royal court and among scholars and merchants, large dragon jars were favored for use as flower vases or wine containers. Here, a single, four-clawed dragon, snarls and writhes across the surface of the vessel, chasing a magical flaming jewel.
These large jars were not thrown on a wheel all at once, but assembled from multiple pieces: the base, which gradually widens as it grows upward from the foot; the shoulder, a bowl shape, turned upside down; and a cylindrical neck. Here, we can easily see the where the base was joined to the shoulder.
- Exhibitions
2014 Cobalt Blues Portland Art Museum
2017 Quest for Beauty: The Architecture, Landscapes, and Collections of John Yeon Portland Art Museum
