[Treasure] Goryeo celadon bottle with bamboo design

Name: Celadon Bottle with Bamboo Design in Relief
Period: Goryeo
Location: Yongsan District, central Seoul
Status: National Treasure No. 169

This celadon bottle from the 13th-century Goryeo period has a height of 33.8 centimeters (13 inches) with mouth width of 8.4 centimeters and bottom width of 13.5 centimeters.

It has a long neck, a very plump lower body and an inverted mouth.

Bamboo is embossed on the neck to the lower body and two engraved lines depict the bamboo joints.

This light green glazed bottle has some natural cracks on the surface and has an elegant round body from the mouth to the lower body.

Its plump lower body gives it a stable appearance and looks like a bottle made of numerous pieces of bamboo put together.

The two stalks of bamboo are united into one through the shoulder to make a long and narrow neck.

This artful technique may not be obvious to the untrained eye, but it’s what makes this bottle look beautiful and brings out the simplicity in this piece of artwork.