Wine cup with inlaid design of cranes flying among clouds
Korean
Description
Every clay pot tells the story of its making. The milky quality of the glaze on the inside of this bowl and the celery green color on the outside reveal that it was exposed to too much oxygen during the firing process—probably because of its placement in the kiln.
The design, on the other hand, is perfect. Cranes flying among clouds is one of the signature motifs of the Goryeo period, and here it is executed with delicacy and sensitivity to the bowl’s shape. On the exterior, chrysanthemum roundels alternate with a floral arabesque.
Physical Description:
This bowl dates from the 14th century when the beauty of the decoration was highly valued more than basic color. It is covered with inlaid designs on both the inner and outer walls. On its inerior rim are inlaid foliage scrolls in white, while the inner wall is decorated with black-and-white inlaid cranes in four places against the background filled with inlaid clouds. At the center of its inner base is also inlaid a chrysanthemum enclircled by a double line, which is then bordered with a row of yeoui-head design. The glaze on the outer surface is poorly fused, and has been entirely repaired.
[Korean Collection, University of Michigan Museum of Art (2014) p.122)
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