Accession Number
2004/1.288

Title
Large Ovoid Jar

Artist(s)
Korean

Artist Nationality
Korean (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
late 19th century

Medium & Support
porcelain with colorless glaze

Dimensions
14 11/16 x 6 1/8 x 6 1/8 in. (37.3 x 15.5 x 15.5 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Bruce and Inta Hasenkamp and Museum purchase made possible by Elder and Mrs. Sang-Yong Nam

Label copy
March 28, 2009
Porcelain clay is difficult to shape on the potter’s wheel, so the upper and lower halves of this jar were thrown separately and then joined together by hand. Jars of such size tend to be somewhat irregular in form, but this one is almost a perfect ovoid. The porcelain body is a bit coarse and the glaze contains many pinholes, suggesting an origin in a regional kiln.
In well-to-do households in the late Joseon period, solidly built jars of glazed stoneware or porcelain would have held grains, beans, or condiments for everyday use. They were placed adjacent to the kitchen in the women’s quarters, their contents protected by a sheet of heavy paper tied over the jar’s mouth with twine. The storage jars entered the house as a new bride’s dowry and were passed on to her daughters as heirlooms.
(Label for UMMA Korean Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)

Subject matter
Ovoid jar.

Physical Description
Large porcelain jar with course ovoid body, cylindrical foot, flared mouth and colorless glaze.

This elongated ovoid jar is presumed to have been produced at a regional kiln. It is shaped by joining the upper and lower halves, which were made separately on the wheel. High-quality clay and glaze were used, but the glaze was poorly fused. The foot was repaired after a partial damage. The lower body features red spots on some parts, which occurred during firing.
[Korean Collection, University of Michigan Museum of Art (2014) p.170]

Primary Object Classification
Ceramic

Primary Object Type
jar

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
ceramics (object genre)
jars
porcelain (visual works)
stoneware (pottery)