Bowl with Double-Parrot Design
Korean
Description
There is no way to know today whether these two bowls were designed as part of a set, but they are so similar in shape and design that they must have come from the same kiln, in the same generation—and perhaps even from the hand of the same potter.
The phoenix, a mythical bird depicted with a long, flowing tail, was an emblem of longevity across East Asia and often appears in the decorative arts of the Goryeo period.
Maribeth Graybill, The Enduring Art of the Korean Potter, December 12, 2004-November 6, 2005
Subject Matter:
Tea bowl with incised double parrot design.
Parrot design is described long tail, elliptical head and crooked beak. It was found on the bowl or vessel of the Goryeo Dynasty. Bird design represents family happiness, status rising and longevity.
Physical Description:
This bowl is an example of an early celadon influenced by Chinese Yue ware. Similar vessels have been excavated from sedimentary layers of the Kiln no. 10 at Yongun-ri, Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do. The design, which features two parrots with their wings spread around the bowl’s inner wall, is also similar to the design found in Yue ware. This piece counts as medium quality ware, since its glaze is poorly fused. Refractory spurs are stuck around the rim, while the glaze has flowed downwards. There are six refractory spur marks on the shallow foot.
[Korean Collection, University of Michigan Museum of Art (2014) p.90]
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