<em>Ewer with Cover</em>, first half 12th century. Stoneware with underglaze slip decoration and celadon glaze, 9 7/8 x 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (25.1 x 24.1 x 14 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Darwin R. James III, 56.138.1a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 56.138.1a-b_SL3_edited.jpg)

Ewer with Cover, first half 12th century. Stoneware with underglaze slip decoration and celadon glaze, 9 7/8 x 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (25.1 x 24.1 x 14 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Darwin R. James III, 56.138.1a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 56.138.1a-b_SL3_edited.jpg)

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

This is beautiful!

This is one of the stars of our Korean collection! This Ewer with cover is an example of the height of Goryeo celadon production. Notice how intricate and detailed the design is.

The lotus petals were made by carving into the clay and the lighter dots were created using light clay slip! Despite the fact that the cap looks like it is a different color, it actually does go with the rest of the object. Notice how the handle and top have similar sculpted lotus portions.

What is the history of this tea pot?

It's actually not teapot but was a vessel used for wine! Do you see the flower on its lid? It's a lotus flower, an important symbol for Buddhist enlightenment. Lotus flowers root in the muddy bottom of a pond but grow up out of the depths to reach the light and bloom in the air, a metaphor for the human condition and the human quest for enlightenment.

This kind of ceramic is called celadon. It has this specific greenish color. Celadon was first developed in China and spread to Korea around the 9th–10th century C.E.

The calm blue-green-gray color was considered, in a Buddhist culture, to be a parallel to a pure and tranquil mind!

That's actually really interesting. I wasn't expecting that.

I wasn't either when I first started learning about this object!

I would like to know more about this artwork please!

This is one of the masterworks in our collection! One reason this piece is so special is that it combines many different ceramic-making techniques in a single object.

The decoration on the body was created by carving designs into the clay, which was then covered with that beautiful celadon green glaze. My favorite detail is the tiny moth and cocoon on the handle and lid!

I see it! The color of the piece is so beautiful.

What's an ewer? Is it for oil?

It depends on where it is from (what culture/time period). Ewer generally refers to the shape but in Korean pottery for example it is a form associated with the serving of wine. The ewers in Infinite Blue from the late 19th century are probably decorative. The Ewer with the gold spots on its lid in the Korean gallery was probably used as a stationary or cosmetic vessel.

What year was this made?

This was made during the first half of the 1100s, though we do not know the exact year. The time period was the height of Korean celadon production. Chinese visitors of the era dubbed Korean celadons "the best under Heaven!"

Dime más.

Este vaso tiene un vidriado llamado "celadon," el cual es conocido por su color azul verdoso. La decoración está hecha con un "slip" (arcilla mezclado con agua) blanco aplicado debajo del vidriado.

Has this piece been repaired?

Our conservators have done some work on this piece including cleaning and filling chips. The cracks you may see are in the glaze, not the wall of the vessel itself.

Thanks.

What is celadon glaze made of?

Celadon can come in a variety of colors, from blue-green to jade-like, and are made using a green-colored glaze over a gray clay body. The color comes from the way iron oxide reacts in a reduction-fired atmosphere!

In later cases, the glaze would be put over a white bodied vessel. Both the clay and the glaze have a small amount of iron in them. In the case of the glaze it is 2-3%. The iron contributes to the color.

Because there are so many types and periods of celadon production, some of the materials and techniques vary!

Do you know the story behind the crack in this teapot?

This pot (which was actually for wine, surprisingly) dates to the 12th century, so it's almost 800 years old! The cracks you see are actually in the glaze and do not affect the body of the vessel itself. They were there when the pot was given to the Museum in the 1950s, so we don’t know how or when the cracks occurred. But despite the crack (and some other minimal damage) this is considered to be one of the greatest Korean ceramics in the world!

I am a ceramics student and was wondering if celadon was an important, even unique glaze in ancient Asian Art and why so. And to what extent is the use of celadon within contemporary ceramics bound to celadon's history?

Celadon glaze was especially valued for the cloud-like, pale blue-green color that could be achieved. Korean potters were internationally recognized as having mastered the technique.

I don't know much about contemporary use of celadon for practical vessels, but I do know that some contemporary artists use it. In that case it is usually a reference to the history and historical applications of the material.

Yes, thanks so much!

What is celadon?

Celadon is a blue-green glaze, often used on stoneware, a kind of ceramic. Celadons are named due to the greenish-blue color of their glaze. Their color can vary in tone from grayish to greenish depending on the composition of the clay. The color of celadon is achieved by placing a green-colored glaze over a gray clay body and the reaction of iron oxide when the vessel is fired in a reduction atmosphere.

Thank you.

Tell me more.

This ewer was used to serve wine and represents one of the masterworks of Goryeo dynasty celadon production.

The lid is decorated with a lotus flower which is an important symbol for Buddhist enlightenment. There is even a moth perched on the lid whose broken cocoon can be seen on the handle.

So many techniques were used to decorate this vessel: the cover and moth decoration were likely hand molded and attached using a process called applique; the decoration on the body was incised/carved; and those tiny white dots were hand painted with slip (thinned clay).

Ewer with Cover

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

With its delicate modeling and restrained decoration, this botanically inspired vessel is considered one of the finest Korean ceramics in existence. The lid and body have fired to slightly different tones of green—probably because they were in separate areas of the kiln—but we know that they belong together, because the tiny white moth on the lid appears directly opposite the cocoon, from which it has just emerged, on the handle. Whereas the body of the ewer is made of light gray clay, the moth and cocoon are in white porcelain, a material that was new to Korean potters at the time. Also new was the addition of tiny white spots of slip (liquid clay) to highlight various elements of the vessel: these are a precursor to the inlaid decoration that would become the signature ornamentation on later Goryeo celadons.

MEDIUM Stoneware with underglaze slip decoration and celadon glaze

Place Made: Korea

DATES first half 12th century

DYNASTY Goryeo Dynasty

DIMENSIONS 9 7/8 x 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (25.1 x 24.1 x 14 cm) (show scale)

MARKINGS None

SIGNATURE Unsigned

INSCRIPTIONS None

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 56.138.1a-b

CREDIT LINE Gift of Mrs. Darwin R. James III

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION From "Korean Art Collection in the Brooklyn Museum" catalogue. The lotiform body is carved with a design of overlapping lotus petals framing leaf sprays. A pulled handle in the form of a lotus stalk is elegantly tied at the top with reeds. The cover is in the shape of an inverted lotus blossom, while the knob of the lid re-creates a lotus bud just beginning to unfurl. The cover and handle were originally joined by a chain, now marked by two loops, which are placed where a butterfly sitting on the cover would have connected with the insect's pupa on the handle. Dots of white slip accentuate the ornamental motifs. This decorative technique marks the earliest celadon wares of the twelfth century, just prior to the development of the slip inlay technique. This ewer's body is in the shape of a lotus blossom. The flower petals are arranged in four tiers, and carved in relief while the veins on the flower petals are incised. The band of lotus petals contains a honeysuckle design further embellished with dots in white slip. The lid is also decorated with three tiers of lotus petals with white slip coating, relief carving, and incision. The knob on the lid takes the shape of a lotus bud, which is accompanied by a butterfly made of white clay. Uniquely, the butterfly forms a pair with the triangular lotus leaf attached to the handle of the body. The butterfly appliqué is attached to a ring by which the ewer would have been connected to its matching cover. The shapes of the spout, handle, and foot are derived from a bamboo motif and sumptuously decorated by the techniques of incision, slip coating, and appliqué. The absence of the Goryeo dynasty's unique inlay technique shows that the ewer was made in the mid-twelfth century. The highly refined clay body and glazing, use of silica for kiln stacking, general figure of the ewer, and the various techniques used for decoration make it a truly fine work of art.

EXHIBITIONS

Arts of Korea

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

CAPTION Ewer with Cover, first half 12th century. Stoneware with underglaze slip decoration and celadon glaze, 9 7/8 x 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (25.1 x 24.1 x 14 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Darwin R. James III, 56.138.1a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 56.138.1a-b_SL3_edited.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 56.138.1a-b_SL3_edited.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

This is beautiful!

This is one of the stars of our Korean collection! This Ewer with cover is an example of the height of Goryeo celadon production. Notice how intricate and detailed the design is.

What is the history of this tea pot?

This kind of ceramic is called celadon. It has this specific greenish color. Celadon was first developed in China and spread to Korea around the 9th–10th century C.E.

The calm blue-green-gray color was considered, in a Buddhist culture, to be a parallel to a pure and tranquil mind!

That's actually really interesting. I wasn't expecting that.

I wasn't either when I first started learning about this object!

I would like to know more about this artwork please!

This is one of the masterworks in our collection! One reason this piece is so special is that it combines many different ceramic-making techniques in a single object.

I see it! The color of the piece is so beautiful.

What's an ewer? Is it for oil?

What year was this made?

Dime más.

Este vaso tiene un vidriado llamado "celadon," el cual es conocido por su color azul verdoso. La decoración está hecha con un "slip" (arcilla mezclado con agua) blanco aplicado debajo del vidriado.

Has this piece been repaired?

Our conservators have done some work on this piece including cleaning and filling chips. The cracks you may see are in the glaze, not the wall of the vessel itself.

Thanks.

What is celadon glaze made of?

Because there are so many types and periods of celadon production, some of the materials and techniques vary!

Do you know the story behind the crack in this teapot?

Celadon glaze was especially valued for the cloud-like, pale blue-green color that could be achieved. Korean potters were internationally recognized as having mastered the technique.

Yes, thanks so much!

What is celadon?

Thank you.

Tell me more.

This ewer was used to serve wine and represents one of the masterworks of Goryeo dynasty celadon production.

The lid is decorated with a lotus flower which is an important symbol for Buddhist enlightenment. There is even a moth perched on the lid whose broken cocoon can be seen on the handle.

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Ewer with Cover

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

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Ewer with Cover

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On View: Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

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