The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of August 11, 2026

A shallow, circular ceramic dish rests on a low foot, its walls flaring upward to a slightly raised rim. A muted, grayish-green glaze pools across the flat interior and exterior walls. A delicate web of fine crackle lines spreads across the entire surface, occasionally catching the light. Small, dark-brown spots fleck the lower exterior, contrasting with the smooth, cool-toned finish of the open, saucer-like vessel.

Saucer

1100s

Korea, Goryeo dynasty

(918–1392)
pottery
Diameter: 19.3 cm (7 5/8 in.); Overall: 3.7 cm (1 7/16 in.)
Gift of John L. Severance 1918.455.b
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The crackle pattern that appears all over this saucer was caused by a thermal expansion mismatch between the body and the glaze.

Description

As early as the seventh century, the practice of drinking tea and wine became an important part of elite culture in Korea. Elites of the Goryeo period commissioned a variety of types of utensils and vessels including this saucer paired with a large bowl, to make their drinking experience more exciting.
  • Purchased by Langdon Warner [1881–1955] in Korea for the Worcester Warner Collection
    ?–1918
    John L. Severance [1863–1936], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1918–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • 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.
    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
    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, English ed. Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Series, 16. Seoul, Republic of Korea: Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, 2021. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 74-75
  • Mountains and Rivers Beyond the DMZ – Korean Gallery 236 Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (January 21-July 21, 2019).
  • {{cite web|title=Saucer|url=false|author=|year=1100s|access-date=11 August 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1918.455.b