Celadon Ewer in the Shape of a Seated Figure
Twelfth to thirteenth century
A robed figure kneels holding a peach in both hands before his chest, a tall crown on his head and a serene smile on his face. The whole figure is a wine pot. Wine was poured in through a hole in the top of the crown and came out through the peach, which is the spout, and the loop at the back of the figure is the handle. He is probably a Taoist immortal, since the peach is the fruit of immortality, though some scholars see a bodhisattva or a Buddhist attendant.
The figure shows how playful Goryeo potters could be. The robe falls in modelled folds, the sleeves are edged with incised lines, the crown is carved with a bird and flowers, and the peach is joined to the body with a leafy stem. The grey green glaze pools in the hollows and thins over the ridges, so the modelling reads clearly. Look at the hands and at the small details of the belt and the tassels. Ewers shaped like animals, fruit and people were popular in the twelfth century, and this is among the finest.
The ewer was found in Daegu, and is one of only a few figure shaped celadon vessels to survive intact; it is designated Treasure one hundred and sixty seven. Goryeo aristocrats and Buddhist monasteries used such pots for wine and tea at banquets and rituals, and the theme of the immortal with the peach suited toasts to long life. In the celadon gallery it stands among plainer bowls and vases, and it always draws a smile, which is exactly what its maker intended eight hundred years ago.
Did You Know? The wine was poured in through the top of the figure's crown and came out through the peach in his hands, so the immortal literally offered his guests long life.
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