Learning from Asian Art: Korea

Roof Tile and Roof End Tile
These two molded tiles once served as decorative eave endings to a ceramic tile roof on a Korean building.
Buddha
The delicate details of this tiny sculpture exemplify the refined taste of artisans working during the years of the Unified Silla dynasty (668–935), a high point in the production of Buddhist sculpture in Korea.
Wine Ewer in the Form of a Melon This little pot, which has been shaped in the form of a melon, may have been used during social gatherings to pour rice wine into the cups of Korean aristocrats.
Cosmetic Box This small, lidded box, designed for holding cosmetics, has been decorated using an inlay technique invented by Korean potters in the early 1100s.
Flask This flask, made from gray stoneware that has been brushed with a white, liquid clay called slip, was probably used for storing and drinking liquid.
Kaos This unique ceramic vessel features words on its surface from the Hunmin chongum, an edict issued in 1446 in which King Sejong presented the newly created Korean alphabet.
Boy Attendant Carved from a single piece of wood, this figure of a boy attendant was a common sight in Buddhist temples of the Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910) in Korea.
Third King of the Underworld This painting features at its center the awe-inspiring figure of Songje, the third of the ten Buddhist Kings of the Underworld, who sits in judgment of the deceased.
Dragon Jar Dragons were one of the most favored decorative motifs in Korean ceramics, and large dragon jars like this one were considered prized possessions.
Dragon Jar (Cobalt) This dragon jar is painted with cobalt, a luxury pigment imported from the Middle East that creates a beautiful blue color when fired.
Treasure Chest This small wooden treasure chest, adorned with delicate, symbolic decorations, was used in the women's quarters of an upper-class household.
Ch'aekkori Screen This Ch'aekkori folding screen depicts the sorts of objects, books, and tools with which a highly educated man of the Confucian literati would surround himself.
He Who Tries to Travel Two Roads This large painting is composed of eight smaller paintings, each created on a sheet of long, white paper and then mounted vertically as a hanging scroll.
Six Poems on Flowers This six-panel screen created contains precise and beautiful calligraphy, the art of which was part of a traditional Korean scholar's training.