KOREAN BLUE AND WHITE 'LANDSCAPE' WATER DROPPER
JOSEON DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY
Estimate: £500 - £700
Auction: 08 November 2024 from 10:00 GMT
Description
백자 청화 산수무늬 사각 연적
the square-shaped water dropper with a flat base, painted in underglaze blue on all five sides, depicting a riverscape with sailing boats and mountain peaks, the scene on the top enclosed within a line border, and the piece includes a cylindrical spout
Dimensions
7cm high
Provenance
Private collection, London; acquired from Mainichi Auction, Tokyo
Footnote
This square-shaped blue-and-white porcelain water dropper was produced in the 19th century at the official government kiln in Bunwon-ni. Each side of the water dropper is adorned with an abbreviated landscape scene depicting boats sailing on the Han River, with hills in the background. These images reflect the scenery near the royal kilns, from which artisans drew inspiration. Pieces such as this one were highly prized by the yangban class. The scenery reflects the transition in Korean art during the late Joseon Dynasty when artists began depicting real landscapes rather than the imaginary scenes rooted in Chinese traditions. Such motifs would have appealed to the yangban elite, who often sought intellectual and spiritual reflection through the observation of nature. Comparable examples could be found in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, accession no. 79.273.2 and the Harn Museum of Art, object no. 2004.36.3.