Cleveland Museum of Art

Vase in the Form of a Melon

Date

1100s

Medium

celadon

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 culture in Korea. Elites of the Goryeo period commissioned a variety of types of utensils and vessels including this elegant bottle, not only to make their drinking experience more exciting, but also to show their appreciation of nature. During the Goryeo period (918-1392), kilns operated in Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces, meeting a soaring demand for high-quality tableware. The shape of this bottle resembles is a type of yellow muskmelon cultivated mainly in East Asia.

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