lidded bowl on stand with Cintāmani handle

lidded bowl on stand with Cintāmani handle , 1500s, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

Where object was made: Korea

Material/technique: baegja white ware

Dimensions:
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): a 14 x 17.5 cm
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 5 1/2 x 6 7/8 in
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): b 8 x 17.5 cm
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 3 1/8 x 6 7/8 in
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): assembled 20 x 17.5 cm
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 7 7/8 x 6 7/8 in

Credit line: Museum purchase: R. Charles and Mary Margaret Clevenger Art Acquisition Fund

Accession number: 2014.0053.a,b

Not on display

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Label texts

The Power and Pleasure of Possessions in Korean Painted Screens

Baegja is a type of white porcelain produced during the Joseon dynasty for use in ancestral worship. The frugal pragmatism and simple beauty of baegja embodied the spirit of Korean Confucianism. Confucianism was based on the writings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551 BCE–479 BCE), who
emphasized the importance of family harmony and social order over spiritual values. Although used in ancestor worship, the vessel incorporates aspects from Buddhism as seen in the Cintāmaṇi or “wish-fulfilling jewel” that forms the handle on the lidded bowl.

Exhibition Label:
"Nature/Natural," Jul-2014, Kris Ercums
Ceramic ritual objects demonstrate the emergence and flourishing of religious practice on the Korean peninsula. Objects like the kundika were used to sprinkle water in rituals dedicated to Buddhist divinities while baekja (white ware) was utilized in Confucian ancestral worship during the Joseon dynasty. While many of these ritual objects were initially created using expensive materials such as bronze, over time ceramic versions were increasingly used, which preserved the original ritual significance and made them more readily accessible to a wider audience. Many contemporary ceramic artists continue to draw inspiration form earlier ceramic traditions, expand this historical legacy in the world today.