A WHITE-GLAZED MOON JAR KOREA, JOSEON DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY |

of generous proportions, potted with a globular body resting on a short foot and sweeping up to a gently flared mouth-rim, the exterior and base covered with a creamy-white glaze

There are several hairlines to the rim and foot, including four to the mouth. There are also restored chips along the mouth-rim. There are characteristic firing imperfections and crackles to the glaze.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The minimalist aesthetic of Neo-Confucianism had a profound effect on ceramic production throughout the Joseon period (1392-1910). While the preceding Goryeo dynasty (918-1392) is celebrated for its celadon wares, white wares, known in Korea as baekja, became the most popular ceramic type during the Joseon dynasty. Finely potted vessels covered in a highly tactile, creamy glaze were made in many Korean kilns from the 16th century onwards. The best-quality examples were however made at the bunwon kilns, in today’s Gwangju, which came under the supervision of the royal court from the 1460s. Jars of this distinctive form and glaze were popular in the 18th century and were made in a variety of sizes. A slightly smaller jar of this form in the Dukwon Museum of Art, Seoul, was included in the Museum’s exhibition Masterpieces of Chosun Arts. Ceramics, Seoul, 1992, cat. no. 49, together with a slightly larger example, cat. no. 48; a larger jar in the National Museum of Korea, Seoul, is illustrated in Roger Goepper and Roderick Whitfield, Treasures from Korea, London, 1984, pl. 203; and a fourth is published in Sekai tōji zenshū/ Catalogue of World’s Ceramics, vol. 17, Tokyo, 1956, pl. 135. See also a larger jar of this form in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, published on the Museum’s website, accession no. 1979.413.1; and one with a rolled rim, in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 1024.