Jar with Bird and Flower Decoration

Description

Joseon blue-and-white porcelains were called “靑畫," meaning “painted in blue.” The blue here indicates cobalt pigment. In the 1700s, the royal court banned the importation of cobalt blue for its luxurious nature; thus, relatively few Joseon blue-and-white porcelain vessels were produced at that time. In that context, this modest-looking jar was considered to be a rare luxury.

Provenance

(Kochukyo Co., Inc., Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1985); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1985–)

Jar with Bird and Flower Decoration

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1700s

Accession Number

1985.19

Medium

stoneware with underglaze blue designs

Dimensions

Outer diameter: 33 cm (13 in.); Overall: 43.4 cm (17 1/16 in.)

Classification

Ceramic

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund