Korean Glazed Ceramic Vase Buncheong Ware Joseon Dynasty

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A small antique Korean Buncheong stoneware vase from early Joseon Dynasty circa 16th century. The vase is of a classic … Read more A small antique Korean Buncheong stoneware vase from early Joseon Dynasty circa 16th century. The vase is of a classic pear form with a waisted neck, a flared mouth and a ringed base. It is slightly irregular in shape, typical of the stoneware from that period. The surface is decorated with an overall white slip with crackles. Three incised lines encircle the shoulder and neck and one around the lower body. The decoration showcases a spontaneous free-hand iron paint depicting stylized peony leaves on scrolling vine. The neck and base are not covered with white slip and show a beige color glaze. This particular type of Buncheong ware was associated with the Hakbong-ri kilns in the sacred Mount Gyeryong Mountains, west of Daejeon city in the Chungcheong province. During early Joseon Dynasty, the emperor decided to reject Buddhism to embrace the Confucianism. As a result, many monks were forced to abandon their religious life and returned to the secular society. The monks in Gyeryong mountains set up the kilns and started to produce this so called "Hakbong-ri" type of Buncheong ware. The production was shorted-lived for only a few decades from late 15th to early 16th century before it turned to porcelain, but the ware made during that period was noted for their fresh and enigmatic appeal with deft iron-paint decoration. Collectors cherish these pieces for their vitality and spontaneity. It is possible that the vase was made slightly later in the 16th century. It comes with a more recent wood storage box with a Japanese paper label in Kanji that reads "Gyeryong Mountain Iron Painted Tokkuri" Tokkuri is a small vase in this typical form in Japan that traditionally was used to store sake. On the lid, it was written "Li Dynasty" which is another name for the Joseon Dynasty.
For a similar vase, see Item 88.78 in the collection of the Virginia Musuem of Fine Art.; 2015.79.454 in the collection of MIA (Gift from Mary and Jackson Burk Foundation).
Another similar vase is illustrated on page 88 in the book "Korean Buncheong Ceramics from Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art". See less