The Joseon dynasty ruled Korea from 1392 until 1897, when Korea was proclaimed an empire, which lasted until 1910. Its rulers followed Neo-Confucian ideals of modesty, order and learning, and those ideals shaped its arts. Korea traded with and learned from Ming and Qing China, but its potters and painters developed tastes of their own.
Looking closely: a Moon Jar
Describe. A large, round white porcelain jar with no painted decoration at all. Moon jars are typically about 40 centimeters (16 inches) tall. Analyze. It is not a perfect sphere. Potters threw two large bowls on the wheel and joined them rim to rim, and the seam around the middle and the slight lean of the form remain visible. The glaze is a soft, milky white with faint tints where the kiln's heat varied. Interpret. Its plain, gentle shape and quiet color, like a full moon, suit the Joseon taste for simplicity and naturalness. Its small irregularities are part of its beauty, not mistakes.
Key idea
Why it works
True-view landscape
For centuries Korean painters had painted ideal landscapes in Chinese styles, often of places they had never seen. Jeong Seon (1676 to 1759) painted real Korean places from his own observation, a style called true-view landscape (jingyeong sansu). Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang (1751) shows the granite peaks of a mountain in Seoul, wet and dark after rain, with bands of white mist below. He used heavy, wet strokes laid side by side for the rock and dots for the pines. Later, Kim Hong-do (born 1745) extended the same interest in real Korean life to lively genre scenes of farmers, schoolchildren and wrestlers.
Common mistake
Worked example: Mistake or style?
- Moon jars were made by joining two thrown halves, so a seam is expected.
- Large wet clay forms sag a little in firing.
- Joseon taste valued natural, unforced forms.
Answer: No: the seam and gentle lean come from how it was made, and are part of its admired character.