You are here:
Jar
Jar
백자호 (白磁壺)
1700s
Korea, Joseon dynasty
Glazed porcelain
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1983.28
Location
Description
Austere, pure, and simple are adjectives often associated with white porcelain ware of the Joseon dynasty. Unlike perfectly symmetrical and intricately adorned Chinese or Japanese ceramic pieces, an undecorated Korean white porcelain jar was highly celebrated, particularly among Japanese art historians and connoisseurs. For them, its empty white surface expresses the concept of “not acting or not desiring”—the highest level of self-cultivation.
While white porcelain vases taller than 40 centimeters were exclusively for the royal household, relatively small ones, such as this jar, were for court officials and aristocrats. In the scholar’s elegant study, a round white jar often held a branch of plum or peony blossoms.
Contact us
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
The information about this object, including provenance information, is based on historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on objects is an ongoing process, but the information about this object may not reflect the most current information available to CMA. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.
Is something not working on this page? Please email help.website@clevelandart.org.