Actively produced in Korea beginning in the fifteenth century, white porcelain reflected the ideals and taste of the newly established Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). As the neo-Confucianist ideology of the Joseon’s ruling elites promoted a frugal and restrained lifestyle, simple monochrome white porcelain gained popularity. The production of these wares continued throughout the early twentieth century, yielding vessels of diverse functions, sizes, and shapes. In China, which was a source of inspiration and reference in the development of Korean ceramics, potters replaced the earlier fashion for plain white wares with lavishly decorated porcelains with flamboyant, multicolored patterns; as a result, pure white wares remained a uniquely Korean phenomenon. This exhibition explores the simple yet elegant beauty of plain white Korean porcelain with objects drawn from the Museum’s collections and loans from other collections in the United States; these objects range from a small water dropper to an imposing globular “moon jar.”

The porcelains are complemented by Korean photographer Bohnchang Koo ’s large-scale images, which capture the subtle beauty of undecorated white porcelains. To create his Vessel series, Koo (born 1953) visited museums both within and outside Korea to photograph the white Joseon wares in their collections. The resulting photographs are almost portrait-like, often featuring off-center compositions, sectional details, and subtle pink tones.

Curator

Hyunsoo Woo, The Howard and Maxine Lewis Associate Curator of Korean Art

Location

Levy Gallery, Perelman Building