Day 99 - Korean earthenware jar
October 29, 2018
I had expected to begin my exploration of the South Asian collection today. Instead, gallery 233 turns out to be a sizable room filled with objects from Korea - largely ceramics, but also a wonderful contemporary scroll painting of lotuses and carp, a couple of bronze statuettes of bodhisattvas, and some long gold earrings. (The latter were apparently worn by both men and women.) I'm struck by the skill of the artists, but also by a pervasive sense of energy reflected in their creations. Painted wares, for instance, often show twisting, sinuous forms and rather free brushwork. It's a nice introduction to an art I'd never thought much about and am now mildly intrigued by.
Today's object impresses because of the elaborateness of its decoration. It's a long-necked yet sturdy-looking earthware jar, perhaps 15 inches high and equally wide at its widest point, from the 7th or 8th century. Both the neck and the body of the jar are adorned with horizontal rows of small repeating decorative detils: circles, cones, spirals, etc. At first I think that it must have taken the jar's maker a very long time to incise these small forms, one after the other and identical in appearance. Then I read that it was decorated by impressing molds on the damp clay, which explains the uniform appearance of the various shapes.
The jar really has a lot of presence. I could imagine it in a home standing alone on a pedestal. Its simple form and geometric details give it a timeless quality. We think of abstract art as modern, but this jar, which is well over a millennium old, would fit nicely into any modern decor.
Today's object impresses because of the elaborateness of its decoration. It's a long-necked yet sturdy-looking earthware jar, perhaps 15 inches high and equally wide at its widest point, from the 7th or 8th century. Both the neck and the body of the jar are adorned with horizontal rows of small repeating decorative detils: circles, cones, spirals, etc. At first I think that it must have taken the jar's maker a very long time to incise these small forms, one after the other and identical in appearance. Then I read that it was decorated by impressing molds on the damp clay, which explains the uniform appearance of the various shapes.
The jar really has a lot of presence. I could imagine it in a home standing alone on a pedestal. Its simple form and geometric details give it a timeless quality. We think of abstract art as modern, but this jar, which is well over a millennium old, would fit nicely into any modern decor.
All in all, today turned out to be a pleasant surprise. But then, there are so many wonderful surprises at the Met.
Comments
Post a Comment