Cleveland Museum of Art

Jar with Bird and Flower Decoration

Date

1700s

Medium

stoneware with underglaze blue designs

Culture

Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

Department

Korean Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Joseon blue-and-white porcelains were called “靑畫," meaning “painted in blue.” The blue here indicates cobalt pigment. In the 1700s, the royal court banned the importation of cobalt blue for its luxurious nature; thus, relatively few Joseon blue-and-white porcelain vessels were produced at that time. In that context, this modest-looking jar was considered to be a rare luxury. Cobalt blue, an expensive imported mineral from Persia (modern-day Iran), was officially banned for use in Korea during the 1700s.

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