The Bottle With Flower Birds And Fish Analysis

Ceramics are a fascinating object to study from any society because they are functional objects with aesthetic designs influenced by the political and social world of their production. The Bottle with Flower, Birds, and Fish is a fifteenth to sixteenth Buncheong ceramic from the Choson period of Korea’s history. The Prunus Vase with Inlaid Lotus Petal and Arabesque Scroll Design is also a ceramic piece from the same Choson era, but it is not classified as Buncheong. The similarities, such as the nature motifs and material, and differences, such as the shape and execution of design, of these two pieces exemplify the history and the use of the world of ceramics within the fifteenth to early sixteenth century within the Choson period in ancient

Both pieces are from the Choson Dynasty in Korea, specifically from the fifteenth to the early sixteenth centuries. However, there is no indication who the artist or the potter are of either piece. Also, the specific spacial location within the Choson Dynasty where each piece was crafted is not indicated. Materialistically, both pieces are made from stoneware. The wheel-thrown technique is evident within the structure of the objects, since the symmetry is apparent but not executed perfectly. The similarities continue into the artistic styles of the two piece. Geometric designs and nature motifs dominate the artistic elements that cover both of the vases. The artistic technique is incised slip decorations to achieve a mostly monochromic image. By using this technique, the artists each create an image comprised of simple geometric lines that come together to form a one-dimensional representation of a fish, flower, or vines. The green glaze applied to the stoneware contributes to the aesthetic natural elements by producing an earth tone that overcomes the totality of the

LACMA classifies The Bottle with Flower, Birds, and Fish as a buncheong ware (LACMA); which “embodies both the sophisticated tastes of the Choson court and scholarly elite and the wit and candor of the common people” (Seung-Chang 4). buncheong ceramics were in demand by the individual elites, but because of a high demand, they ultimately had to be borrowed form official bureaus for banquets. The lack of return of these vessels ended up with a design change in buncheong ceramics as inscriptions of who the vessel belonged to started to appear on the pieces (Seung Chang 13). However there is no indication of these inscription on the Bottle with Flower, Birds, and Fish. The inlaid designs on the Prunus Vase with Inlaid Lotus Petal and Arabesque Scroll Design mimic those of the inlaid celadon; which “culminated in the late thirteenth century…[and the] indentations were then filled with white or red slip” (Seung-Chang 6) resulting in the darker detailing within the leaves as the “iron rich red turned black” (Seung-Chang 6). The importance of ceramics within the Choson period became heightened soon after the shortage of gold and silver (Seung-Chang 8). The Choson government limited the use of the precious metals to official purposes only, which in return increased the value of ceramics to display social standing within the