Koryo Melon shaped ewer

Koryo Dynasty (AD 918-1393)
ceramic, celadon glaze
Korea
H:13.5cm x W:19cm

Many celadon ewers produced during the Koryo dynasty mirror the shape of a melon, such as this graceful ewer. Formed in a sleek round design, this ewer features a looped handle and is fitted with a slender arched spout. It is covered in a hazel celadon glaze adorned with a delicately etched six-petal flower pattern. The lid features a flower petal sanggam inlay design.
Ceramics with green glazes were the only high-fired wares produced in Korea during the Koryo dynasty. The tradition of such wares was first introduced from China around the tenth century. However, by the middle of the twelfth, Korean potters had developed their own unique styles and designs that reflected their own native taste such as this example. These Korean wares were praised in contemporaneous Chinese writings as having the radiance of jade and the clarity of water.