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

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

The work and its context

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

As early as the seventh century, the practice of drinking tea became an important part of elite culture in Korea. In enjoying teas, elites commissioned a variety of types of utensils and vessels including this delicate-looking cup, not only to make their tea-drinking experience more exciting, but also to show their refined taste. This cup is coupled with the cup stand (1921.617).

Object facts

• Title: Floral-shaped Cup
• Date: 1100s
• Culture: Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
• Type: Ceramic
• Technique: pottery
• Dimensions: Diameter of base: 3.8 cm (1 1/2 in.); Overall: 5.8 cm (2 5/16 in.)
• Collection: Korean Art
• Department: Korean Art
• Accession number: 1921.616

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 John L. Severance

Further reading listed by the museum

• Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.
• Jang, Nam-won. "The Tea and Celadons during the Goryeo Dynasty : Considering the Celadon Tea Utensils [고려시대 茶文化와 靑瓷]." Misulsa nondan (2007): 129–162.
• Lee, Yun-jin, “ A Study on Ceramic Jantak(盞托) of Goryeo Period [고려시대 청자잔탁 연구].” Misulsahak yeongu (2012): 35–69.

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.