Korean Ceramic Celadon Bowl with Slip Inlay Goryeo Dynasty

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A good Korean celadon bowl with elaborate slip inlays circa 12-13th century from the Goryeo Dynasties (918 to 1392AD). Despite … Read more A good Korean celadon bowl with elaborate slip inlays circa 12-13th century from the Goryeo Dynasties (918 to 1392AD). Despite inspired originally by the celadons from Song Dynasty in China, the development of celadon in Korean peninsula took its own course and reached the zenith in the 11-12th century during Goryeo dynasty. One singularly distinguishable characteristic was the masterful slip inlay techniques which was uniquely Korean and specifically Goryeo. The potter first cut out the design on the clay, then filled with white or black slip inlay before a surface glaze was applied for firing. This process created contrasting designs that range from rustic, intricate to elaborate, depending on the kilns, production period as well as the purpose of consumption. The masterpieces from the peak of the production radiate with a beauty of purity that was often compared to water and jade. The inlay work can be dazzling for its intricacy.
The bowl is of a robust form with a small ring base. The interior of the bowl showcases design consisting of a thin outer ribbon with wavy inlays, four cardinal cranes in black and white inlays among small cloud forms, and a central mandilion on the bottom with a bundle of chrysanthemums. On the exterior, four chrysanthemum flower in double circles among scrolling cloud pattern were sandwiched between the upper and lower double-lined border. Lovely as it is, the bowl also shows some issues, the color of the glaze is not even, with half of the exterior showing a more greenish jade hue. There are a couple of glaze incidence, with more prominent sliding spot on the rim. Although these may be viewed as charming, we also noticed an old repair following a restored crack line, more visible from the exterior side (the last two pictures). This is the reason why the price is significantly lower than an intact bowl. See less