Jar

Historical period(s)
Silla kingdom, Three Kingdoms period, late 5th-mid 6th century
Medium
Unglazed stoneware
Dimensions
H x Diam: 47.1 x 38.4 cm (18 9/16 x 15 1/8 in)
Geography
Korea, Gyeongsang-do province
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Accession Number
F1985.4
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Jar

Keywords
Korea, stoneware, Three Kingdoms period (1st century BCE - 7th century CE), unglazed, WWII-era provenance
Provenance

From early 1960s to 1985Rear Adm. George Washington Pressey (died 1966) and Elizabeth Lee Berger (1913-2002), Washington, DC [1]From 1985Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Elizabeth Lee Berger, January 3, 1985 [2]Notes:[1] According to information in the object's record, the vessel was acquired in Korea by Mrs. Berger and her first husband, Rear Adm. George Washington Pressey (died 1966), when they were posted there in the early 1960s. [2] See Invoice, issued by Mrs. Elizabeth L. Berger (Mrs. Samuel D. Berger), signed and dated 3 January 1985, copy in object file.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Mrs. Elizabeth Lee Berger 1913 - 2002

Label

Many jars made of gray unglazed stoneware, of which this is an exceptionally large example, have been excavated from tombs in the vicinity of Kyongju, capital of the Silla kingdom.  The jars held food offerings for the deceased.  Incised and impressed decoration on this jar closely resembles chased decor on gold crowns found in some tombs.

Published References

Art of Asia Acquired by North American Museums, 1985. no. 39 New York and Honolulu, HI. p. 87.Korean Art in the Freer and Sackler Galleries. Washington, D.C. no. 10.3, p. 158.

Collection Area(s)
Korean Art
Web Resources
Korean Ceramics
Google Cultural Institute
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