FLATTENED JAR, White porcelain, Joseon Dynasty（1392–1897CE）
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A Joseon white porcelain flattened jar.
A white porcelain flattened jar with a broad, shallow circular body, a short neck and mouth, and a rectangular raised foot. Seen from the front, it has a fullness like a full moon; in profile it reveals a thin, flattened silhouette. The pairing of the widely swelling body, the small mouth that rises cleanly, and the foot supporting the base is elegant, and among Joseon white porcelain this piece is notable for its strong sculptural presence.
The piece dates to the late Joseon period, likely from the late 18th–19th century. The glaze is a soft white with a bluish cast; in light it combines a faint, cool bluish-white porcelain quality with the gentle warmth characteristic of whiteware. The body shows slight iron deposits and age-related toning, so it is not a perfectly uniform white but has the quiet expression typical of antique white porcelain. Across the broad surfaces there are fine abrasions and subtle variations in sheen from use, conveying the composed, time-worn surface of a vessel that has matured over a long period.
This piece has a firmly built footring and a tautly modeled body. Unlike mass-produced utilitarian wares, it appears to be Bunwon white porcelain, or a flattened jar used in and around the court. Entirely free of decoration, it relies solely on form and glaze, displaying the composed restraint characteristic of Joseon white porcelain.
The flattened jar, while a utilitarian vessel, commands a strong presence in its very silhouette when set on view. In this example, the circular spread seen from the front, the thinness of the walls in profile, and the subtle tension between rim and foot are finely balanced. It is effective displayed on its own, and when paired with Joseon furniture, weathered wood, stone, or antique ceramics, the contours of the white porcelain are brought into sharper relief.
There are signs of age on the rim, around the footring, and on the body, including wear, fine scratches, slight discoloration, and irregularities in the glaze. The body shows a faint hairline crack or fine linear scratches following the glaze surface. The footring bears soil deposits and traces of use. There are no major chips. Please note that this piece is old.
Numerous product photos are available for you to examine the details and condition. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
The aesthetics of the period did not favor surface-level ornamentation or technical prowess but emphasized forms and expressions that quietly supported the inner life of the individual. Objects and furnishings were not merely tools of utility—they might be seen as a kind of dōjō, spaces for self-discipline and reflection. A humble jar placed in a scholar’s study, a plain desk, or an unadorned brush rest were not only objects to be observed but mirrors reflecting one’s posture and thoughts.
It is no coincidence that the crafts of the Joseon period possess a “quiet presence.” These works were created not to impress, but to accompany the human spirit—to breathe with it and to help bring it into balance.
Take white porcelain, for example. Subtle glaze flows, the tremble of clay, slight asymmetries in shape—these so-called “unintentional phenomena” were accepted and even cherished. They reflect a broad-minded sensibility that contrasts sharply with modern ideals of perfection and uniformity. This sensibility questions the boundaries between nature and artifice, beauty and imperfection, object and mind. One could even say it was not just a way of making but an expression of the spirit of the age.
If we were to describe Joseon-era beauty, it is less a “beauty of display” and more a “beauty of resonance.” Not the charm of an object itself, but the way it creates a moment for the viewer to reflect on how to live and how to be. For this reason, the object must not speak too loudly—it must carry emptiness, pauses, and silence within. This kind of thinking seems to run through the very heart of Joseon craftsmanship.
These values would eventually cross the sea and take root deeply in Japan. In the world of chanoyu (the Japanese Way of Tea), Joseon white porcelain and buncheong ware had already begun to be used by the late Momoyama period. Their modest and quiet character offered a contrast to the stately grandeur of Chinese imports. The aesthetic sensibility of “listening to what is unsaid” in tea culture resonated with the silence and imperfection held by Joseon vessels, nurturing a gaze that would eventually find form in the spirit of wabi-sabi.
In modern times, thinkers of the Mingei movement such as Yanagi Sōetsu and Kawai Kanjirō discovered in Joseon crafts “a power that purifies” and “a form of life as it ought to be.” In an age when traditional crafts were being forgotten, these objects were not viewed merely as antiques but as expressions of a way of being—welcomed with profound respect and empathy.
Even now, when I encounter a crafted object from the Joseon period, I find myself moved by its stillness. Within it dwells the spirit of a time that asked how we ought to live and what it means to be—and that quiet voice continues to speak to us, undiminished by time.
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Tax excluded. Import duties may apply. Shipping costs are calculated at checkout.
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