Mandarin Duck-shaped Celadon Incense Burner

Goryeo · 1F · Medieval and Early Modern History · Goryeo 1

This is the lid of a celadon incense burner crowned with a mandarin duck, designed so that the smoke of the incense passes through the duck's body and escapes through its open beak. Perched on a lotus seedpod with its head held upright and its beak parted as if calling to its mate, the duck is rendered both realistically and with the refinement of fine ceramic sculpture. The body is modeled in the round, the area beneath the head and parts of the plumage are carved in relief, the feathers are detailed with fine incised lines, and a black dot marks each eye as a pupil. Its polished carving and the jade-green glaze typical of the finest Goryeo celadon suggest it is an outstanding work of the early twelfth century, the height of celadon production.

See it in person at the National Museum of Korea — 1F · Medieval and Early Modern History · Goryeo 1

Source: based on official e-museum records (National Museum of Korea).