Floral-shaped Bowl (1100s): Art, History and Details

Floral-shaped Bowl (1100s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Celadons, spoons, seals, and bronze mirrors were the most common burial objects in tombs during the Goryeo period (918–1392). Furnishing tombs with an elaborate assemblage of objects was believed to honor and comfort the newly dead. Generally, Goryeo tombs were left untouched until the late 19th century. During the colonial period (1910–45), however, Japanese archaeologists competitively excavated the tombs located in Kaeseong, the former capital of the Goryeo period. This elegant floral-shaped cup was probably one of those grave goods excavated during the Japanese colonial period.

Object facts

• Title: Floral-shaped Bowl
• Date: 1100s
• Culture: Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
• Type: Ceramic
• Technique: Ceramic, glazed
• Dimensions: Overall: 7.6 cm (3 in.)
• Collection: Korean Art
• Department: Korean Art
• Accession number: 1970.560

A detail from the museum

Elites of the Goryeo period are known for their love of drinking tea and wine. This type of delicate-looking cup not only made their drinking experience more enjoyable, but also showed their refined taste.

Collection credit

Gift of Mrs. Karl Martoch

Further reading listed by the museum

• Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.
• Goryeo: The Glory of Korea [대고려, 그 찬란한 도전]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2018.
• Sparkles of Jade: Goryeo Celadon [高麗青磁 : ヒスイのきらめき]. Ōsaka: Ōsaka: Shiritsu Tōyō Tōji Bijutsukan, 2018.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.