Cleveland Museum of Art

Bowl with Fish and Waves in Relief

Date

1200s

Medium

pottery

Culture

Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)

Department

Korean Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

As early as the seventh century, the practice of drinking tea and wine became an important part of elite leisure culture in Korea. A wide bowl like this example was especially suitable for drinking powdered tea shaved from a compressed tea cake, the most commonly enjoyed type during the Goryeo period. While the inlaid image of bloomed chrysanthemums decorate the outer wall, that of fish swimming waves in relief appear on the inner wall of this tea bowl. Such elaborate design tell us that tea wares then were aesthetically invested objects of luxury. Kangjin and Buan kilns in Jeolla province were the two major production centers for celadon wares during the Goryeo period (918-1392).

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.