The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 16, 2026

A bronze vase features a tall, slender body tapering from a rounded shoulder to a flared base. A short, cylindrical neck rises to an open rim. Its matte, olive-green surface is mottled with muted brown and pitted with dark oxidation spots. Light catches on the uneven texture, highlighting the aged, earthy patina. The simple form lacks ornamentation, instead emphasizing its narrow silhouette and weathered, metallic tones.

Vase

918–1392

Korea, Goryeo dynasty

(918–1392)
bronze
Outer diameter: 2.4 cm (15/16 in.); Overall: 8 cm (3 1/8 in.)
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1917.1049
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

This miniature bronze vase may have been made exclusively as a tomb object.

Description

Various objects such as this miniature metal vessel were the most common burial objects in tombs during the Goryeo period (918–1392). Furnishing tombs with an elaborate assemblage of objects was believed to honor and comfort the newly dead.
  • Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.
    Goryeo: The Glory of Korea [대고려, 그 찬란한 도전]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2018.
  • {{cite web|title=Vase|url=false|author=|year=918–1392|access-date=16 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1917.1049