Hear me willow and willow weep for me

Name: Bottle (celadon with willow design in iron-brown underglaze)
Period: 12th century, Goryeo Dynasty
Location: National Museum of Korea, Fine Arts Gallery
Status: National Treasure No. 113

This bottle has a very modern feeling thanks to its bold decorative design and composition. Compared to the designs of other underglazed iron-brown celadon works, its design is quite simple, but its willow is illustrated in an elegant way. The bold design of the roots and stump of the willow tree show the artist’s magnificent skill. The shape of this bottle is also quite unique among celadon pieces.

We can infer that the bottle was used for alcohol because a bottle of a similar shape, displayed at the Museum of Oriental Ceramics in Osaka, is incised with a poem about liquor.

*The photos and text for Treasure Trove are provided by the National Museum of Korea. For more information, call (02) 2077-9000 or visit www.museum.go.kr.