Joseon Dynasty (19th century)

Likely for holding scrolls on the scholar’s desk, or possibly to hold the scholar’s brushes, this exceptionally refined vessel perfectly embodies the Korean taste for subtly decorated porcelains. Having adopted Neo-Confucianism as the state philosophy during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), Koreans, and particularly the literati, espoused an austere aesthetic vision that led them to prefer porcelain vessels with only limited decoration for the scholar’s desk. Although many porcelains for the Korean scholar’s studio exhibit designs painted in underglaze cobalt blue, the most exalted ones, like this rare vessel, display lightly incised decoration or remain wholly undecorated, relying on tautness of form and perfection of color for their aesthetic appeal. Korean clients of the nineteenth century found faceted vessels especially appealing, the facets typically eight in number. This vessel’s spotted white deer and Manchurian crane stood as favored symbols of longevity in traditional Korea, visual rebuses that offer the viewer the wish for long life.