A Buncheong sgraffiato 'floral' moonflask, Joseon dynasty, 15th century

Christie's New York, 26th March 1991, lot 283.

The present moonflask is a fine example of buncheong sgraffiato ware. Its well-proportioned form is extremely elegant, with the swelling lower body gently tapering near the mouth, its surface deeply and sensitively carved under a celadon-tinged glaze. One side displays a lotus blossom against frilled scrolls and the other frames a stylized flower within combed lines. Incised and sgraffiato buncheong wares were produced in Jeolla Province in southwest Korea, pointing to the possible origins of this flask.

Unlike celadon-glazed ceramics from the preceding Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), which were produced by limited kilns for a specific audience, buncheong ware was used across social classes, from the highest echelons of the Joseon court to the scholarly elite (yangban) and commoners. Over the course of the 15th century, buncheong decoration underwent dramatic transformations. In the first half of the century, motifs were usually incised and stamped, and white slip applied to the crevices. However, the latter half of the dynasty ushered in iron-brown painting and sgraffiato techniques as potters pushed their creativity to new heights in response to new tastes and stiff competition with porcelain kilns. This resulted in a vast repertoire of shapes, designs, and motifs, reflected in the dazzling and idiosyncratic array of extant buncheong vessels.

A similar flask with large lotus medallion, lappet collar and stylized floral side decoration is illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu [Catalogue of the World’s Ceramics: Korean Ceramics in the Li Dynasty], vol. 14, Tokyo, 1961, pl. 28. Another more freely carved example with foliate motifs and geometric decoration on the sides is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics: The World’s Great Collections: National Museum of Korea, vol. 2, Tokyo, 1976, pl. 66. A flask carved with scrolling flowers was sold at Christie’s New York, 22nd March 1999, lot 293. See another incised with peonies in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession no. 1986.305).