Cleveland Museum of Art

Bowl with Brushing Decorations

Date

1400s–1500s

Medium

Clay, glaze

Culture

Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

Department

Korean Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This type of wide-mouthed bowls was used everyday in Korea, not exclusively for tea drinking. But when it was introduced to Japan around the early 16th century, its imperfect appearance evoking the aesthetics of wabi-sabi caused it to be repurposed as a tea bowl. Korean tea bowls were circulated as an item of foreign luxury among Japanese military elites. Many Korean potters were abducted to Japan during the Japanese invasions (1592–98) and some settled down in provinces such as in the Saga prefecture in Kyushu. Dislocated Korean potters are often credited for their leading role in the development of ceramic industry in Japan. This type of humble tea bowl was highly praised among Japanese collectors for its imperfect beauty.

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