CYLINDRICAL CUP, Celadon with relief-carved bamboo-joint pattern, With wooden box, Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392 CE)

A Goryeo celadon cup (small bowl) whose straight-sided, cylindrical body is shaped to suggest a bamboo grove. The surface bears a series of vertical raised ribs, each shallowly incised to indicate bamboo nodes; small buds are even carved into the nodes, and the bamboo form quietly appears beneath the pale bluish-green glaze.

Celadon that incorporates bamboo‑joint forms and motifs was produced widely in the twelfth century, when Goryeo celadon flourished. The National Museum of Korea’s collection includes examples such as a twelfth‑century celadon whose body itself was formed in the shape of a bamboo joint, and a celadon piece whose exterior is relief‑carved with bamboo stalks depicting nodes and buds. This object likewise connects to that Goryeo celadon expression of bamboo joints—from the vertically aligned bamboo stalks and paired node lines to the small buds that peek out at their sides.

The cylindrical body rises directly from a low foot to the rim with minimal constriction. On this composed form, a three-dimensional pattern circles the vessel, the bamboo depicted as if arranged stalk by stalk. The glaze is a soft bluish-green: light gathers on the raised areas while the recessed valleys retain a slightly deeper tone. As the viewing angle changes, the bamboo’s play of light and shadow alters its appearance, producing an effect entirely different from that of an undecorated cylindrical cup.

In Goryeo celadon, forms that transposed natural subjects—melons, lotuses, bamboo, gourds—directly onto vessels were favored. Bamboo, among these, became one of the ware’s most emblematic motifs. This object does not simply portray bamboo as a pattern but uses the vessel’s body itself to suggest a continuous run of bamboo segments. In this small cup, the characteristic Goryeo sensibility—an attentive regard for nature and a refined sense of form—is condensed.

Three marks remain within the foot recess, offering evidence of the firing process. The surface shows crazing, wear, and small kiln blemishes, none of which significantly detract from its overall appearance. A pale bluish-green glaze extends to the interior, and the cup’s celadon hue is evident when tea is poured into it.

Measuring 8.6 cm in height, it is moderately deep, and when held the relief of the bamboo‑joint motif is felt beneath the fingers. In form, glaze color, and tactile qualities in use, this cup offers an intimate encounter with the bamboo‑joint design of Goryeo celadon.

Includes a wooden storage box.