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Pensive bodhisattva, mid-7th century. Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668). Korea. Gilt bronze; H. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm); W. 4 in. (10.2 cm); D. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Walter and Leonore Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 2003 (2003.222).
NEW YORK, NY.- How The Metropolitan Museum of Art has collected Korean art over the last century is the subject of an exhibition organized in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of its Department of Asian Art. Showcasing more than 70 masterworks in a variety of media—ceramics, painting, sculpture, metalwork, and lacquerware, all drawn from the Museum’s holdings—Korea: 100 Years of Collecting at the Met highlights the individuals and trends that shaped the Metropolitan’s distinctive collection, sometimes deliberately, and sometimes accidentally.
The exhibition is made possible by Samsung.
When the Department of Asian Art (then called “Department of Far Eastern Art”) was established in 1915, the Museum possessed only 65 Korean works, some of which were mistakenly catalogued as Chinese or Japanese. Dubbed the “hermit kingdom,” Korea was then little known to the Western world.
“Today, Korea’s traditional arts as well as pop music, film, and drama are celebrated markers of global culture. Our collection of Korean art, too, has been significantly transformed and continues to evolve,” said Soyoung Lee, Associate Curator for Korean art in the department. “This presentation reveals the modern Western imagination of Korea, and the many ways Korean art came to be viewed and appreciated in America,” she continued.
Ranging in date from the fourth century B.C. to the present, works on view in the exhibition exemplify both the distinctness and diversity of Korean art. Among them are a recently acquired late 18th-century portrait of a scholar-official, two rare 14th-century Buddhist paintings, a sublime mid-seventh century gilt-bronze statue of a pensive bodhisattva, an exceptional 12th-century lacquer box inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell, and the finest examples of Goreyo-period celadon.
The Arts of Korea Gallery has been refurbished as part of this installation, and all labels have been redone to include basic information in both Korean and Chinese characters for the benefit of the Museum’s growing number of Asian visitors.
The exhibition is organized by Soyoung Lee.
February 7, 2015 – March 27, 2016
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Pensive bodhisattva, mid-7th century. Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668). Korea. Gilt bronze; H. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm); W. 4 in. (10.2 cm); D. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Walter and Leonore Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 2003 (2003.222) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Images of the pensive bodhisattva became prevalent in East Asia between the fifth and eighth centuries. In Korea, the type emerged as an important Buddhist icon during the sixth and seventh centuries, particularly in the kingdoms of Baekje and Silla. This seated figure is among the best-preserved examples. It is infused with a subtle yet palpable energy that is articulated in such details as the pliant and lifelike fingers and toes. His crown is topped with an orb-and-crescent motif, indicating Central Asian influence.
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Dish with inscription and decoration of chrysanthemums and rows of dots, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), mid-15th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with stamped design; H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); Diam. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Colman, 1893 (93.1.216) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The deep dish has an inscription in the center indicating that it was made in Gyeongju and sent to the government bureau Jangheunggo, which was responsible for supplying items like paper and mats to the court. In the fifteenth century, the central government collected and stored buncheong vessels from the regions for use as tableware at official functions. A ceramic type distinguished by its white-slip design, buncheong ware was produced in Korea from the late fourteenth through the mid-sixteenth century.
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Tea bowl with decoration of chrysanthemums and wavy lines, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), first half of the 17th century. Probably Korea. Stoneware with stamped, white-slip design; H. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); Diam. of rim 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm); Diam. of foot 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936 (36.120.502) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The white slip, stamp technique, and chrysanthemum motif of the tea bowl indicate that it was produced specifically for the Japanese market. It was likely made in the early seventeenth century; however, it is also possible that it was a product of the so-called Busan kilns (active 1639–1718) in southeastern Korea, which manufactured and exported revivalist Korean-style ceramics designed to cater to the tastes of Japanese consumers.
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Large jar with decoration of peonies, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 15th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with incised and sgraffito design; H. 15 in. (38.1 cm); Diam. 10 7/8 in. (27.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1916 (16.122.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The boldly rendered peony flowers and leaves capture the essence of this exuberant plant. The decorative technique of incising the outlines and carving away the background through the white slip is characteristic of buncheong vessels produced in the Jeolla Province.
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Maebyeong with decoration of cranes and clouds, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), second half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid decoration under celadon glaze; H. 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm); Diam. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Sadajiro Yamanaka, 1911 (11.8.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The cranes and clouds, popular motifs on Goryeo celadon, are delicately yet expressively rendered. Set against the green color of the glaze, they appear to be floating in the sky.
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Small jar and cover with decoration of chrysanthemums, cranes, and clouds, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), late 13th century. Korea. Stoneware with gold and inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Sadajiro Yamanaka, 1911 (11.8.4) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This jar is a rare example of Goryeo celadon with gold decoration (several specks remain). This type of celadon became prevalent in Korea from the late thirteenth to the early fourteenth century, reflecting the tastes of the Mongols who ruled China during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) and exerted political and cultural influence from Korea to Eastern Europe.
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Bowl with decoration of fish, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), second half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); Diam. 7 in. (17.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Sadajiro Yamanaka, 1911 (11.8.8) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Oil bottle with decoration of peonies and chrysanthemums, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 13th century. Korea. Stoneware with copper-red and inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm); Diam. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Sadajiro Yamanaka, 1911 (11.8.3) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The highly volatile copper-red pigment was successfully controlled during the firing to produce splashes of deep crimson against the black-and-white inlay and green glaze. The technique of underglaze copper-red decoration on celadon was likely an innovation of Goryeo potters.
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Oil bottle with decoration of peonies, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), second half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 2 in. (5.1 cm); Diam. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of R. H. Macy and Co., 1919 (19.39.22) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Basin with decoration of peonies, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), second half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm); Diam. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of R. H. Macy and Co., 1919 (19.39.3) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This deep, bowl-like basin, which would have formed a set with a tall, slender wine ewer or bottle, was filled with hot water to keep the wine warm.
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Gourd-shaped ewer with decoration of waterfowl and reeds, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), early 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with carved and incised design under celadon glaze; H. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm); W. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.2) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This ewer highlights the potter’s technical sophistication and creativity in adapting a motif from nature, the double gourd, into a practical and appealing ceramic vessel. The design of ducks and geese amid reeds demonstrates an appreciation for pictorial realism.
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Bottle with decoration of chrysanthemums and lotus petals, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 13th–14th century. Korea. Stoneware with stamped and inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 13 5/8 (34.6 cm); Diam. 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.6) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This bottle is a wonderful example of late Goryeo celadon with a densely arranged, repeating decoration. The small chrysanthemums were created using stamps rather than individually inlaid, as in earlier celadon.
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Maebyeong with decoration of lotus flowers, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), late 11th–early 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with carved and incised design under celadon glaze; H. 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm); Diam. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Bowl with foliate rim and peony decoration, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), first half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with mold-impressed and incised design under celadon glaze; H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); Diam. of rim 7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm); Diam. of foot 2 /38 in. (6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.3) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Maebyeong with decoration of cranes and clouds, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), late 13th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm); Diam. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm); Diam. of base 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.11) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This quintessentially Korean maebyeong (plum bottle), with a voluptuous form and an eye-catching design of large cranes and clouds, was produced at the famous celadon kiln site at Buan Yucheon-ri in North Jeolla Province. The gold repair on the mouth indicates that this bottle was once a treasured piece in a Japanese collection.
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Maebyeong with decoration of lotus flowers, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 11th century. Korea. Stoneware with iron-brown design under celadon glaze; H. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.12) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Iron pigment typically adds a yellowish tint to the color of the celadon glaze, as seen on this maebyeong (plum bottle). The motifs and the style of the design are similar to those on iron-painted vessels from Cizhou kilns of Song China.
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Large jar with decoration of peonies, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), second half of the 19th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue and copper-red design; H. 15 in. (38.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1927 (27.119.22) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The shape of this jar, with a globular body, long neck, and rolled rim, is typical of nineteenth-century Korean porcelain, as is the swiftly rendered, exuberant decoration. The flash of color from the copper-red pigment adds to the appeal of this robust piece.
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Standing Buddha, South and North Kingdoms period (668–935), Unified Silla, 8th century. Korea. Gilt bronze; H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1912 (12.37.136) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The gilt-bronze statue is a typical small icon made for private devotion in the Unified Silla kingdom and exemplifies a high point in the production of Buddhist sculpture in Korea. The Buddha's hand gesture (mudra) symbolizes the dispelling of fear and the granting of wishes.
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Standing Buddha, South and North Kingdoms period (668–935), Unified Silla, 8th century. Korea. Gilt bronze; H. 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.118.53) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The gilt-bronze statue is a typical small icon made for private devotion in the Unified Silla kingdom and exemplifies a high point in the production of Buddhist sculpture in Korea. The Buddha's hand gesture (mudra) symbolizes the dispelling of fear and the granting of wishes.
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Water-moon Avalokiteshvara, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), first half of the 14th century. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk; Image: 45 1/16 x 21 7/8 in. (114.5 x 55.6 cm) Overall with knobs: 79 3/8 x 30 1/8 in. (201.6 x 76.5 cm) Overall with mounting: 79 3/8 x 28 in. (201.6 x 71.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914 (14.76.6) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Water-moon Avalokiteshvara (Korean: Suwol gwaneum) is an iconographic type that was popular in Korea during the Goryeo period. She was worshipped for her ability to prevent calamities and diseases and to safeguard travelers on their journey. This painting shows the resplendently attired bodhisattva in three-quarter view, seated on a rocky outcropping above the waves. At the top is a diminutive moon, in which a hare pounds the elixir of immortality. At the bodhisattva’s feet, the dragon king leads a group of elegantly dressed miniature figures; behind them follow sea monsters bearing precious gifts. The boy pilgrim Sudhana (Korean: Seonjae dongja) stands at the lower right; his encounter with this deity, as recounted in the Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment) Sutra, provides the textual source for the scroll.
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Kshitigarbha, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), first half of the 14th century. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk; Image: 33 1/4 × 14 1/2 in. (84.5 × 36.8 cm) Overall with mounting: 79 × 25 3/8 in. (200.7 × 64.5 cm) Overall with knobs: 79 in. × 27 1/4 in. (200.7 × 69.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1929 (29.160.32) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A compassionate bodhisattva who rescues sentient beings from descending into hell or purgatory, Kshitigarbha (Korean: Jijang) became enormously popular during the Goryeo period. A key figure in Pure Land Buddhism, Kshitigarbha was often depicted singly and in the guise of a monk—with a shaved head, wearing a monk’s robe, and holding his standard attributes, a staff and a wish-fulfilling jewel (cintamani). This exquisite scroll is a well-preserved example of Goryeo Buddhist painting. Some of its hallmarks are the deity’s graceful facial features and slender fingers, the red and green colors of the robe, and the sumptuously elegant gold decoration.
Very few Korean paintings made prior to the fourteenth century survive. Buddhist paintings of the Goryeo dynasty are renowned for their delicacy and refinement. Most, if not all, were commissioned by members of the royal family and the aristocracy and were painted by monk-painters or professional court painters.
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Illustrated Manuscript of the Lotus Sutra, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), ca. 1340. Korea. Accordion-format book; gold and silver on indigo-dyed mulberry paper; Image: 9 x 4 1/2 in. (22.9 x 11.4 cm) Overall: 13 x 4 1/2 x 7/8 in. (33 x 11.4 x 2.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1994 (1994.207) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A seminal Buddhist text, the Lotus Sutra was among the most frequently copied sutras in East Asia. Illustrated Buddhist scriptures produced at the Royal Scriptorium were highly valued not only on the peninsula but throughout northeast Asia. The volumes usually have a rectangular accordion format and calligraphy written in gold or silver pigment on indigo-dyed paper, often preceded by elaborate frontispiece illustrations, as seen here. This fourteenth-century example (volume two of the Lotus Sutra) demonstrates the standards of excellence for which Goryeo sutras are renowned.
The illustration is divided into two halves and addresses the question of universal salvation and ways to enlightenment. The book is read from right to left.
Far right: The preaching scene. Seated on a high pedestal and surrounded by bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, and two of his disciples, the historical Buddha Shakyamuni preaches to a third disciple, Shariputra.
Upper left: The parable of the burning house. A father (representing the Buddha) promises animal-drawn carts to his child (representing sentient beings) to tempt him away from poisonous insects, snakes, and the burning house (the perils of the mortal world). Once outside, the child is rewarded with one grand carriage (the “one vehicle” of Mahayana Buddhism).
Lower left: The story of the prodigal son. The destitute son (representing sentient beings) works for a rich man, whose true identity is his father (the Buddha). Starting as a laborer, the son works his way up to more prestigious jobs and, in the end, is bequeathed the wealth of the father.
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Arhat, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 13th–14th century. Korea. Stoneware with iron-brown decoration under celadon glaze; H. 7 in. (17.8 cm); W. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm); D. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Edna Bahr, 1962 (62.97.9) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Sanskrit term arhat (Korean: nahan; Chinese: lohan) refers to enlightened beings in the Buddhist tradition. Celadon statuettes of Buddhist figures have been found in Gaeseong, the capital of the Goryeo dynasty, and at ancient temple sites in southwestern Korea.
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Covered box, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Korea. Silver; H. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); Diam. 1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1922 (22.141.28a, b) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The swastika incised in the center of this box is an ancient Indian symbol of auspiciousness that was introduced to Korea with Buddhism.
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Water bottle (Kundika), Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Korea. Bronze; H. 13 1/2 in. (34.2 cm); W. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1923 (23.115) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
These distinctively shaped containers were used as water sprinklers for Buddhist purification rituals. In Goryeo society, bottles of this type also came to be used as water containers in both elite and common households by the twelfth century.
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Kashyapa, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), dated 1700. Korea. Wood with polychrome paint; H. 22 in. (55.9 cm); W. 9 in. (22.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, 1942 (42.25.8) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This standing figure in a monk’s robe is Kashyapa (Korean: Gaseop), the eldest of the two principle disciples of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. His smiling face and relaxed posture convey benevolence and wisdom. According to the inscription placed with the votive offerings inside the image, the statue was made on the twenty-ninth day of the third month in 1700, together with a Buddha and arhat figures (Korean: nahan), at a temple retreat on Mount Duryun in Yeongam district, now part of Daeheung Temple in South Jeolla Province. The monk-sculptor Saengnan, whose works can be found today in Jeolla Province, was among the artists involved in this project.
Abby Greene Aldrich Rockefeller (1874–1948), wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and a champion of modern art, donated a group of Asian sculptures to the Metropolitan Museum in 1942. The gift, primarily composed of Chinese Buddhist art, was lauded at the time as “perhaps the most important single gift the Far Eastern Department has ever had.” This charming statue was one of two late Joseon-period Korean pieces that came to the Museum as part of that group. At the time, these works were thought to date to the thirteenth century.
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Needle case and bobbin, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Korea. Partially gilt silver inlaid with niello; L. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.175.34a, b) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Oil bottle with decoration of peony leaves, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), late 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with reverse-inlaid design under celadon glaze; H. 2 1/4 (5.7 cm); Diam. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.175.9) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The decoration on this charming bottle is an example of celadon with a reverse-inlaid design, for which the background space around the delicate peony leaves was carved away and filled with white slip.
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Small bowl with decoration of lotus and chrysanthemum, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 12th century. Korea. Porcelain with incised design; H. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); Diam. 3 5/16 in. (8.4 cm); Diam. of foot 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm)). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1922 (22.141.35) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This delicate bowl exemplifies white ware of the Goryeo period—what might be termed “soft” porcelain because of the type of clay—of which there was limited production. Porcelain became the main type of ceramic on the peninsula from the fifteenth century under the Joseon dynasty.
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Mirror with decoration of phoenixes and flowers, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), first half of the 12th century. Korea. Bronze; Diam. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1922 (22.141.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Mirror with decoration of figures in a landscape, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Korea. Bronze; Diam. 7 in. (17.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1925 (25.219.4) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Mirror with decoration of dragons, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 11th–12th century. Korea. Bronze; Diam. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1911 (11.48.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Trefoil-shaped covered box with decoration of chrysanthemums, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), ca.12th century. Korea. Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell over pigment; brass wire; H. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm); L. 4 in. (10.2 cm); D. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1925 (25.215.41a, b) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Lacquer, celadon, or bronze ensembles composed of four trefoil boxes surrounding a larger round or flower-shaped box served as containers for cosmetics or incense. Very few Goreyo-period lacquer boxes with mother-of-pearl inlay have survived; this is a particularly fine example.
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Earring (One of a Pair), Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), Silla Kingdom, early 6th century. Korea. Gold; L. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm); W. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1943 (43.49.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The beauty and sophisticated craftsmanship of these gold earrings—and of the personal adornments found in the tombs of the Silla and Gaya elite generally—attest to the esteem conferred upon them by both patron and artisan.
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Earring (One of a Pair), Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), Gaya federation (42–562), end of 5th century. Korea. Gold; H. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm); W. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm); D. 1/2 in. (1.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1943 (43.49.5) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The beauty and sophisticated craftsmanship of these gold earrings—and of the personal adornments found in the tombs of the Silla and Gaya elite generally—attest to the esteem conferred upon them by both patron and artisan.
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Earring (One of a Pair), Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), Silla Kingdom, 5th century. Korea. Gold; L. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1943 (43.49.13) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The beauty and sophisticated craftsmanship of these gold earrings—and of the personal adornments found in the tombs of the Silla and Gaya elite generally—attest to the esteem conferred upon them by both patron and artisan.
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Jar and tall stand with perforated base, Three Kingdoms period, Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), mid-5th century. Korea. Stoneware with traces of incidental ash glaze; H. 21 1/2 in. (54.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.24a, b) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This combination of a bulbous jar and a tall stand with a perforated design is representative of high-fired, wheel-thrown gray stoneware from the Silla kingdom and Gaya federation. Such vessels seem to have functioned primarily as burial objects.
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Stand with perforated base, Three Kingdoms period, Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), 5th–6th century. Korea. Stoneware with traces of ash glaze; H. 16 in. (40.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.21) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Bird-shaped vessel, Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), 3rd century. Korea. Earthenware; H. 12 7/8 in. (32.7 cm); W. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); L. 13 7/8 in. (35.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Footed bird-shaped vessels were found primarily at burial sites on the southern Korean peninsula, near the Nakdong River. Occurring in pairs, they probably served as funereal ritual vessels and burial objects. Liquid was poured into the vessel through an opening at the back and out through the bird’s tail.
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Jar, Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), 3rd century. Korea. Earthenware; H. 6 in. (15.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Covered urn with geometric decoration, South and North Kingdoms period (668–935), Unified Silla, 8th century. Korea. Stoneware with stamped design; H. 9 in. (22.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.18a, b) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
With the rising popularity of Buddhism in the Silla kingdom, cremation became the standard funerary practice, displacing earlier elaborate burial rites. This urn, with a stamped design of flowers and geometric patterns, is typical of Korean stoneware containers for ashes from the eighth century.
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Gourd-shaped bottle, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), early 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with accidental ash glaze; H. 16 3/8 in. (41.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997 (1997.34.26) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This bottle is an elegant example of non-celadon stoneware from the Goryeo period. Its double-gourd shape evinces beautiful, harmonious proportions.
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Jar with decoration of grapevine, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), mid-18th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze copper-red design; H. 10 1/16 in. (25.6 cm); Diam. 10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975 (1979.413.2) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The sinewy vines and large leaves, almost abstract in their purity of form, depict a grape plant without fruit. This jar is a representative example of eighteenth-century porcelain painted in copper-red pigment. Porcelain objects like this one are thought to have been produced in the eighteenth century outside the circle of court-patronized kilns known as Bunwon.
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Square bottle, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), first half of the 19th century. Korea. Porcelain; H. 7 in. (17.8 cm); W. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm); D. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975 (1979.413.3) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The clean silhouette and bluish white color of this piece are typical of undecorated porcelain produced during this period at the official court kilns known as Bunwon.
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Moon Jar, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), second half of the 18th century. Korea. Porcelain; H. 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm); Diam. 13 in. (33 cm); Diam. of rim 5 1/2 in. (14 cm); Diam. of foot 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975 (1979.413.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A distinctive type of porcelain from the late Joseon period, the moon jar (Korean: dalhangari)—so called because of its evocative form—was usually made by joining two hemispherical halves. The peach hue of the glaze, unintentionally acquired during firing, adds to the charm of the jar.
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Style of An Gyeon (Korean), Evening bell from mist-shrouded temple, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), ca. 1450–1500. Korea. Pair of hanging scrolls; ink on silk; Image (each): 35 3/8 x 17 7/8 in. (89.9 x 45.4 cm) Overall with mounting (each): 78 1/4 x 24 in. (198.8 x 61 cm) Overall with knobs (each): 78 1/4 x 27 7/8 in. (198.8 x 70.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Rose and John B. Elliott Gifts, 1987 (1987.278a, b) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This scroll was most likely part of an original set of eight depicting the scenery around the Xiao and Xiang Rivers in China (present-day Hunan Province). Majestic peaks in the distance tower over a Buddhist temple complex. The mist-filled evening air, dark expanse of water in the foreground, and impression of shimmering light, impart a lyrical, even melancholic, mood. The lack of human figures is unusual; in earlier Chinese examples of this theme, they act as listeners who hear the sound of bells ringing through the mist. An artistic convention imported from China, the Eight Views of Xiao and Xiang Rivers became popular in early Joseon Korea where innovations in format and style transformed the genre.
Though the work is unsigned, the artist clearly aligned himself with the style of the fifteenth-century master An Gyeon. His trademarks include powerful mountain forms, dramatic interplay of solids and voids, strong contrasts of dark and light, effective use of mists, modeling ink washes, and short brushstrokes.
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Wild geese descending to sandbar, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 15th–early 16th century. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink on silk; Image: 49 3/4 × 19 1/4 in. (126.4 × 48.9 cm) Overall with mounting: 91 3/4 × 24 1/2 in. (233 × 62.2 cm) Overall with knobs: 91 3/4 × 27 1/4 in. (233 × 69.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, John M. Crawford Jr. Bequest, and The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 1992 (1992.337) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Set in the modern province of Hunan, China, this landscape depicts a river valley and distant mountains with a flock of flying geese, the identifying marker of one of the most recognizable scenes from the Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers theme. This theme attained renown within Chinese literary and artistic circles during the Song period. Although its fame on the continent receded over time, in Korea, monochrome ink paintings of the subject reached a new height of popularity in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Indeed, early Joseon scrolls and screens illustrating the Eight Views represent Korean transformations of this classic theme.
This scroll would originally have been part of a set. The tripartite composition represents the standard iconography of this subject in early Joseon Korea. The style of the work is in the manner of An Gyeon, the preeminent fifteenth-century court artist. With its delicate and sophisticated brushwork, this painting is one of the finest extant landscapes from the period.
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Bowl, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), first half of the 16th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with white slip; H. 3 1/4 (8.2 cm); Diam. 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Oliver, 1983 (1983.557.2) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Joseon ceramic ware that gained widespread favor in Japan beginning in the late fifteenth century was not fine white porcelain, the main product of Korean kilns—particularly the official court kilns—at the time, but buncheong (powder green) stoneware, so-called because of its bluish green transparent glaze. This bowl, which was dipped partially in white slip and then covered with a glaze before firing, is typical of the type of buncheong ware that was especially prized by practitioners of the tea ceremony in Japan as the embodiment of the aesthetics of rusticity and naturalness.
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Bowl with inscription and decoration of chrysanthemums and tortoiseshell pattern, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), mid-15th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with stamped design; H. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm); Diam. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm); Diam. of foot 2 3/4 in. (7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Toshiya Fujiwara Riseido, 2003 (2003.590) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The two-character inscription inside this bowl reads “naeseom,” short for naeseom-si, the Joseon government bureau that supervised tributary products to the royal palace from the provinces, liquor given to officials of second rank or higher, and food and textiles for Japanese and Manchurian visitors.
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Flask-shaped bottle with decoration of peonies, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 15th century. Korea. Buncheong ware with incised and sgraffito design; H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm); Diam. 7 in. (17.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1986 (1986.305) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The decorative technique of incising the outlines and carving away the background through the white slip is characteristic of buncheong ware produced in Jeolla Province.
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Melon-shaped ewer with decoration of bamboo, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), first half of the 12th century. Korea. Stoneware with carved and incised design under celadon glaze; H. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. Roger G. Gerry, 1996 (1996.471) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This elegant ewer demonstrates the Goryeo potter’s skill in transforming everyday motifs from nature—in this case, melon and bamboo—into a practical yet attractive vessel.
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Box with decoration of lotus scrolls, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 18th century. Korea. Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl; H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm); W. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm); D. 12 9/16 in. (31.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Roger Gerry, 1981 (1981.455.2a, b) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Stationery box with decoration of peony scrolls, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 15th–16th century. Korea. Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl; H. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm); W. 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm); L. 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015 (2015.500.3.1a, b) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A rare example of early Joseon lacquer, this box is inlaid with a sophisticated mother-of-pearl design. Peony blossoms of similar form can be found on inlaid buncheong ware; the stylized acanthus-like leaves are distinctive to this example and to the few other extant boxes of its type, which are nearly identical.
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Bottle with flattened side, late Unified Silla (668–935)–early Goryeo (918–1392), 9th or 10th century. Korea. Stoneware with accidental wood-ash glaze; H. 9 in. (22.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Judith G. and F. Randall Smith Gift, 1994 (1994.226) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Stoneware bottles of this type were produced at the kilns in Jinjuk-ri, South Chungcheong Province, during the ninth century, and they continued to be made into the early tenth century at the Gurim-ri kilns in South Gyeongsang Province. The shape likely derives from leather water bottles carried by northern nomadic tribes of Eurasia.
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Jar, late Bronze Age (ca. 15th–ca. 3rd century B.C.), ca. 4th century B.C. Korea. Burnished red earthenware; H. 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Hongnam Kim, to commemorate the opening of the Arts of Korea Gallery, 1998 (1998.212) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Probably intended for ritual use, this jar attained its lush red color from an iron-rich pigment applied to the vessel before it was burnished and fired.
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Wine cup with ear handles, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 15th century. Korea. Porcelain; H. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm); Diam. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.175.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This cup, used in Confucian ancestral rites, may have been placed on top of a flat-rimmed porcelain dish. It was produced at the court-patronized kilns known as Bunwon.
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Dish, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), second half of the 15th century. Korea. Porcelain; H. 1/2 in. (1.3 cm); Diam. 8 7/16 in. (21.4 cm); Diam. of foot 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gift and Seymour Fund, 2004 (2004.124) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The dish was produced at the court-patronized kilns known as Bunwon. The shape of the dish may derive from celadon ware of fourteenth-century China, and ultimately from metalwork, particularly silver dishes.
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Bottle, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), first half of the 19th century. Korea. Porcelain; H. 13 15/16 in. (33.8 cm); W. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm) Diam. of rim: 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm) Diam. of foot: 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Anonymous Gift, 2007 (2007.481) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The bottle’s clean silhouette and unadorned surface accentuate the essence of Joseon porcelain: restrained elegance. It reflects the neo-Confucian tastes of the Joseon-period elite.
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Brush holder with lotus decoration, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), mid-19th century. Korea. Porcelain with openwork design; H. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm); Diam. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Hewitt Fund, 1911 (11.142.1) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Scholarly men of the Joseon dynasty collected and used beautiful writing implements and accoutrements, often made of porcelain. This elegant brush holder is a particularly fine example of nineteenth-century porcelain with carved openwork design.
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Ring-shaped water dropper, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 19th century. Korea. Porcelain; Diam. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Heakyum Kim, 2004 (2004.554) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
To prepare ink for calligraphy or painting, a Joseon literatus might have used this instrument to drip water onto an inkstone for grinding an ink stick. Porcelain water droppers, often in whimsical shapes and with or without painted decoration, were fashionable during the nineteenth century.
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Water dropper in the shape of a house, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 19th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze blue; H. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); W. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm); D. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2012 (2012.177) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This is a rare example of a porcelain water dropper in the shape of a traditional Korean house, with its tiled roof, lattice doors, and windows accentuated in cobalt blue.
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Bowl with floral and abstract design, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), dated 1847. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue design; H. 4 5/16 in. (10.6 cm); Diam. 7 3/8 in. (18.9 cm); Diam. of foot 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2010 (2010.174) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The striking abstract designs on this bowl closely resemble those found on so-called Kraak ware, Chinese blue-and-white porcelain exported to Europe in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The style is unusual in Korean porcelain. Based on the Korean-character (Hanguel) inscription drilled over the glaze above the foot, we can surmise that thirty bowls were made in 1847 on the occasion of the royal wedding for use at Sunhwagung (residence of the second wife of King Heonjong, r. 1834–49).
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Epitaph tablets (Myoji), set of thirty-four, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), dated 1736. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue design; Each: H. 9 7/8 in. (25.1 cm); W. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Mrs. Carroll, to commemorate the opening of the Arts of Korea Gallery, 1998 (1998.486.1–.34) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
These rectangular epitaph tablets commemorate the life of O Myeong-hang (1673–1728), a scholar-official and calligrapher who served under several Joseon kings and eventually attained the position of state councilor. An important historical document, the set provides insight into the mortuary practices of the neo-Confucian society of eighteenth-century Korea, when epitaphs chronicling the life and achievements of the deceased were written on stone or ceramic tablets and placed inside graves. The tablets also offer valuable information on the manufacture of porcelain and the art of calligraphy. The text is in Chinese characters, the written language of choice for most official documents—especially for the literati—even after the invention of the Korean alphabet (Hangeul) nearly three hundred years earlier.
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Jar with decoration of flowers and insects, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), mid-18th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue design; H. 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm); Diam. 11 3/8 in. (28.9 cm); Diam. of base: 5 1/2 in. (14 cm); Diam. of rim: 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Parnassus Foundation/Jane and Raphael Bernstein Gift, and Diane Carol Brandt Gift, 2005 (2005.406) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In its form, color, and style of decoration, this handsome jar is representative of blue-and-white porcelain produced at court-patronized kilns in eighteenth-century Korea. The calligraphic quality and minimalism of the painted design and the abundance of white space are among the features that distinguish Korean blue-and-white porcelain—especially of this period—from its contemporary equivalents in China, Japan, and Europe.
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Dragon jar, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), second half of the 18th century. Korea. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue painting; H. 17 1/4 in. (43.8 cm); Diam. 13 in. (33 cm); Diam. of rim 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm); Diam. of base 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, 2009 Benefit Fund, 2010 (2010.368) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Porcelain jars decorated with dragons painted in cobalt blue were popular from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century. Many were used as flower vases in official court ceremonies. The two four-clawed dragons chasing flaming jewels on this piece embody the dynamic strength of the auspicious beast, rendered with a touch of humor.
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Portrait of Yun Dongseom (1710–1795), Unidentified Artist Korean, late 18th–early 19th century, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), ca. 1790–1805. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk; Image: 52 3/8 × 30 3/8 in. (133 × 77.2 cm) Overall with mounting: 76 × 31 in. (193 × 78.7 cm) Overall with knobs: 76 × 33 1/4 in. (193 × 84.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick and 2014 Benefit Funds; Friends of Korean Art, Locks Foundation, Hyun Jun M. Kim, and Tchah Sup and Myong Hi Kim Gifts, 2014 (2014.605) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The identification of the sitter as Yun Dongseom, a celebrated scholar, calligrapher, and civil-official, can be confirmed by two other extant portraits in Korean collections. Here, the elderly statesman, dressed in formal attire, is shown in three-quarter view seated in a high-back chair draped with a leopard skin, and against a blank background. A heightened sense of realism guides the rendering of the figure, as was the trend in portraits of the time. The detailed treatment of Yun’s face, through crisp, fluid lines and subtle shading, captures both his physical characteristics and strong personality. A quintessential example of traditional Korean ancestral portraiture, this painting would have functioned as the centerpiece of a family shrine dedicated to honoring the family’s male lineages, in accordance with the strictures of neo-Confucian philosophy.
Although there is no inscribed date, this piece is similar to dated works from the late eighteenth century. One detail that may narrow the dating is the belt: those made of rhinoceros horn and gold were reserved for officials of second rank or higher, a status Yun achieved in 1790. If painted during his lifetime, this portrait would date to 1790–95. Alternatively, the scroll may have been painted posthumously (likely within a decade of his death), a common practice for ancestral portraits.
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Portrait of a scholar, Chae Yongsin (pen name: Seokji) (Korean, 1850–1941), dated by inscription to 1924. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk; Image: 38 1/8 × 21 1/8 in. (96.8 × 53.7 cm) Overall with mounting: 48 × 24 7/16 in. (121.9 × 62.1 cm) Overall with knobs: 48 × 24 3/4 in. (121.9 × 62.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2012 (2012.329) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This portrait depicts a man kneeling atop a patterned straw mat in front of a folding screen. His white robe, trimmed in black and tied above the waist, and double-tiered black hat with three peaks identify him as a scholar in unofficial garb.
The inscription on the left provides the cyclical year gapja (甲子), corresponding to 1924. The artist’s pen name Seokji (石芝) is given in the seal.
A renowned portraitist, Chae Yongsin painted people from all levels of society. This scroll is from late in his career, when he worked with his son and grandson, forming what might loosely be termed a studio. The composition and such details as the folds of the robe and the patterns on the mat closely follow Chae’s signature style. The sensitively modeled face, rendered with short brushstrokes that articulate the texture and creases of the skin, is undoubtedly by the master’s hand.
Chae’s portraits incorporate the conventions of both traditional ancestral portraiture and modern photography. He often painted from photographs, and the backgrounds in many of his works replicate photo-studio sets.
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Still life with bronze vessels and flowering plants, Attributed to Jang Seung-eop (pen name: Owon) (Korean, 1843–1897), Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), 1894. Korea. Ten-panel folding screen; ink on paper; Overall: 77 in. × 14 ft. 2 in. (195.6 × 431.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. Anita H. Berger, in memory of Ambassador Samuel D. Berger, 2014 (2014.247) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In the nineteenth century, still-life paintings of precious vessels with flowering plants and/or fruits emerged as a distinct and popular genre (Korean: gimyeong jeoljido). The bronzes in this screen are more stylized or exaggerated versions of late Qing-period (1644–1911) Chinese examples, which were known in Korea from imported collectibles or their representation in Chinese paintings, prints, or lithographs.
The left-most panel bears the signature and seal of Jang Seung-eop, the leading court artist of the time. Since students and others signed for the illiterate master, some works attributed to Jang may in fact be collaborations or by his immediate followers. Regardless of authorship, this work is a rare and fine example of turn-of-the-twentieth-century still-life painting in the screen format.
Two inscriptions on the back of the right-most panel offer notable provenance for this screen. The first inscription states: “1964 July 9th gifted to United States Ambassador Samuel D. Berger, [from] Park Chung-hee, President of the Republic of Korea [Daehan minguk].” Ambassador Berger retired from a distinguished career in the Foreign Service in 1974. The second inscription reads: “Divine work by Jang Owon, signed by Guryongsan [Nine Dragon Mountain; Kim Jinyong, (1878–1968), artist and critic].”
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Brahma with attendants and musicians, Unidentified Artist, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 16th century. Korea. Hanging scroll; ink and color on hemp; Image: 85 × 87 in. (215.9 × 221 cm) Overall with mounting: 132 × 97 in. (335.3 × 246.4 cm) Overall with knobs: 132 × 101 3/4 in. (335.3 × 258.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, 1921 (21.57) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Originally a Hindu deity, Brahma (Korean: Beomcheon) was incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon and, along with the Hindu god Indra (Korean: Jeseok), became the protector of Buddhist teachings. The Brahma heaven was interpreted as a place of pleasure filled with entertainers and musicians. In this work, lithe figures playing instruments, such as a mouth organ, a long transverse flute, a two-stringed violin, a four-stringed lute with a crooked neck, wood clappers, and a triangular wind instrument made of clay, surround the towering Brahma at center. Ceremonial fans and bejeweled canopies held by assistants in the top row float above the festive scene.
Buddhist paintings on hemp were commissioned by non-royals, while members of the elite favored silk. Regardless of material, Buddhist paintings from the early Joseon period are rare because of the official suppression of Buddhism and promotion of neo-Confucian ideology.
When Mrs. Harkness gave this work to the Met in 1921, it was thought to be either Chinese or Korean. Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Harkness also collected and donated European decorative art and Egyptian art.
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Vertical flute with decoration of chrysanthemums, cranes, and clouds, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), early 13th century. Korea. Stoneware with inlaid design under celadon glaze; L. 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2008 (2008.71) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Bamboo flutes are known to have existed in Korea since at least the Unified Silla period (668–935), and clay flutes were made before the fourth century. An extremely rare example of a celadon musical instrument, this flute was probably custom-made and intended primarily as a decorative object rather than a functional instrument. The flying cranes, mushroom-shaped clouds, and miniature chrysanthemum blossoms inlaid along its cylindrical body are among the motifs most frequently used on Goryeo celadon.
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Earring (One of a Pair), Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), Silla Kingdom, late 5th–early 6th century. Korea. Gold; L. 3 1/8 in. (7.9cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1943 (43.49.3) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The beauty and sophisticated craftsmanship of these gold earrings—and of the personal adornments found in the tombs of the Silla and Gaya elite generally—attest to the esteem conferred upon them by both patron and artisan.
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Rafter finial in the shape of a dragon’s head and wind chime, early Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), 10th century. Korea. Gilt bronze; Finial: L. 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm); H. 11 3/4 in. (29.8 cm); W. 9 in. (22.9 cm); Chime: H. 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm); W. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 1999 Benefit Fund, and The Rosenkranz Foundation Inc. Gift, 1999 (1999.263a, b) © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This finial in the shape of a dragon’s head would originally have been attached to a corner rafter of a royal hall or a Buddhist temple building (see, for example, the photograph to the left of a model pagoda that replicates a full-size wood structure from the Goryeo dynasty).
The beast’s bulging eyes, flaring nostrils, and elaborate scales convey the fierceness and invincibility of this auspicious creature. The small holes at the sides of the neck were probably used to secure the heavy object to the roof. The bell, which functioned as a wind chime, once had a metal-plate clapper inside. The bell would have been suspended from the loop at the mouth of the dragon by a hook. The decorative panels on the lower halves of both faces of the bell feature a swastika (an ancient symbol associated with the Buddha) within a lotus-flower platform. A nearly identical set of a dragon’s head and wind chime, the only other comparable extant example, is in the collection of the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul.
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Yoon Kwang-Cho (Korean, born 1946), Chaos, 2007. Korea. Stoneware with white slip and ash glaze; H. 13 1/8 in. (33.3 cm); W. 26 3/8 in. (67 cm); D. 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Friends of Korean Art Gifts and Parnassus Foundation/Jane and Raphael Bernstein Gift, 2011 (2011.89) © Yoon Kwang-Cho © 2000–2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
While inspired by the buncheong tradition of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Yoon’s more recent works tend toward the sculptural and further exploit the dynamic tactile potentials of clay, glaze, and white slip. The drips and splashes on this piece convey the moment of energetic chaos before the birth of a new life.
