Water Dropper (blue-white)

Water Dropper

Water dropper with a lion-shaped face. Upper ornament in different shades of blue. Lower part in simple blue until to the unglazed bottom.

Object ID
Korea_028

Age
Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910 AD)

Material
Ceramics

Color
blue-white

Height
3.5 cm

Width
6 cm

Length
7.5 cm

Condition
Very Good

Price
on request

Description

Water dropper with an animal-shaped face. The upper part bears a scratched pattern in different shades of blue. The lower part is intensive blue beyond the unglazed bottom-edge. The blue painting gives attention to the two openings, the inlet (pouring) in the middle, and the outlet (spout). Such a water dropper belonged to the writing-utensils. In this regard it was very popular to produce imaginative vessels for example in the form of animals. After the filling with water the vessel is placed upright. In order to dose the amount of water to thin the ink precisely, the writer has to place his finger on the top opening. [1] In the Joseon Dynasty white ware became fashionable. Many of the ceramics were probably made for bureaus of the Government or for wealthy private persons and scholars. [2] (HV)

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[1] Chang, Ki-hoon (2000): Wassertropfer. In: Handbuch der koreanischen Kunst. Steinzeug und Seladon. Tübingen. 112-119
[2] Lee, Soyoung. “In Pursuit of White: Porcelain in the Joseon Dynasty, 1392–1910.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chpo/hd_chpo.htm (October 2004)