Accession Number
1965/2.57

Title
Blue-and-white water dropper with landscape design

Artist(s)
Korean

Artist Nationality
Korean (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
late 19th century

Medium & Support
porcelain with blue underglaze painting

Dimensions
1 3/8 x 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. (3.4 x 8.2 x 8.2 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Harry C. Nail, Jr.

Subject matter
A large number of stationery items in various shapes were produced in the late Joseon period. This circular water dropper is a typical white porcelain stationery item. The image painted on the surface includes a mountain in the background, other landscaping lines, and two characters near the foreground.

Physical Description
It is simple in shape, like a donut but with a sharply trimmed rim in the manner of a metal vessel. The hole in the middle is believed to be a symbol of Eastern philosophy. Designs are painted on the surface in cobalt blue pigment.

This ring-shaped water dropper is decorated with a figures-in-landscape design on its upper surface and a floral scroll design on its sides rendered in cobalt blue. A line runs around the foot and sand was used as kiln spurs. The clay and glaze are well fused. This is one of many water droppers that were produced at Bunwon-ri, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, in the late 19th century.
[Korean Collection, University of Michigan Museum of Art (2014) p.183]

Primary Object Classification
Ceramic

Primary Object Type
water dropper

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
calligraphy (process)
ceramics (object genre)
porcelain (visual works)
vessels (containers)