Jar (White porcelain with plum, bamboo)

Name: Jar (White porcelain with plum and bamboo design in an underglaze of iron-brown)
Period: Joseon Dynasty, 16th century
Location: National Museum of Korea, Fine Arts Gallery
Status: National Treasure No. 166

Well known for its magnificent shape and design, this jar is a good example of 16th-century white porcelains with an underglaze of iron?brown. On the body, bamboo and plums are painted realistically. Bamboo is depicted in a technique that maximizes the effect of light and shade. By depicting slender, straight bamboo leaves and canes, the artist wanted to express the integrity and spirit of bamboo. On the opposite side, by detailing plum trees with small branches that rise straight up, the artist created a poetic and noble mood. Seeing that its design was done with a refined and elegant technique, it is likely that the jar has been designed by a court painter.

*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.