The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 15, 2026

A circular ceramic cover takes a gently domed form finished in a muted green, crackled glaze. A small, rounded knob centers the piece, casting a soft shadow to the right. Beneath the glossy surface, irregular dark gray and white mottling appears. A thin, dark circular line is inlaid near the outer edge. The centered composition highlights the object's geometric symmetry and subtle, aged textures.

Cover for a Pitcher

1100s

Korea, Goryeo dynasty

(918–1392)
celadon ware with inlaid white and black slip decoration
Diameter of lid: 4.2 cm (1 5/8 in.); height of lid: 2.1 cm (13/16 in.)
Gift of John L. Severance 1917.1090
Location: 236 Korean

Did You Know?

During the Goryeo period, a variety of types of tea ware were widely used. This lid once served as a lid of a teapot.

Description

As early as the seventh century, the practice of drinking tea and wine became an important part of elite leisure culture in Korea. This lid once served as a lid for a tea pot.
  • 1917–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Kungnip Chungang Pangmulgwan (Korea), and Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. 5,000 Years of Korean Art. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 1979. Reproduced: p. 104, no. 141
    Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.
    Lee, Young-hee. "The Study on the Craft technique of Koryo Dynasty-Centering on Interrelation [고려시대 공예기법 연구 상호관련성을 중심으로]." Misulsa hakbo 22 (2004): 133-170. www.dbpia.co.kr
    Jang, Nam-won. "The Tea and Celadons during the Goryeo Dynasty : Considering the Celadon Tea Utensils [고려시대 茶文化와 靑瓷]." Misulsa nondan (2007): 129–162. www.dbpia.co.kr
    Sŏn, Sŭng-hye. The Lure of Painted Poetry: Japanese and Korean Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2011. Mentioned and Reproduced: pp. 56–57, no. 30
    Goryeo: The Glory of Korea [대고려, 그 찬란한 도전]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2018.
    Sparkles of Jade: Goryeo Celadon [高麗青磁 : ヒスイのきらめき]. Ōsaka: Ōsaka: Shiritsu Tōyō Tōji Bijutsukan, 2018.
    Korean Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Seoul: Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, 2021. Reproduced: p. 23, fig. 4
    Ch'a, Mi-rae, Kwi-suk An, Cleveland Museum of Art, and 국외소재문화재재단. The Korean Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Edited by An Min-hŭi. First edition, Englished. Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Series, 16. Seoul, Republic of Korea: Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, 2021. Mentioned and Reproduced: pp. 58–59, cat. no. 017
  • The Lure of Painted Poetry: Japanese and Korean Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 15-August 21, 2011).
  • {{cite web|title=Cover for a Pitcher|url=false|author=|year=1100s|access-date=15 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1917.1090