White Porcelain Jar with Underglaze Blue Plum Blossom and Bamboo Design

Joseon · 3F · Sculpture and Crafts · Buncheong Ware and White Porcelain

This blue-and-white porcelain jar from the early Joseon dynasty clearly shows the features of that early period in its form, decoration, glaze, and the tone of its cobalt blue. A band of "wish-granting jewel" (yeouidu) motifs encircles the shoulder and a band of lotus petals the lower part, while across the broad body between them plum and bamboo are painted with a generous use of empty space. The designs are rendered in the boneless manner, drawn directly with the brush without outlines, yet they vary in light and dark, and the depiction of branches has a refinement characteristic of early Joseon. Coated in a milky-white glaze tinged with pale blue, the jar is free of crackle and has a soft, calm texture.

See it in person at the National Museum of Korea — 3F · Sculpture and Crafts · Buncheong Ware and White Porcelain

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