A SLIP-INLAID AND CELADON-GLAZED STONEWARE OIL BOTTLE, GORYEO DYNASTY
Korea, 12th-13th century. Of compressed ovoid form, the short waisted neck with a wide flared mouth. The broad rounded shoulder is decorated with three evenly spaced stylized chrysanthemum sprays above a decorative border of black dots within white line bands. Covered overall in a finely crackled lustrous celadon glaze.


Provenance:
English trade.

Condition:
Very good condition with minor wear and minimal firing irregularities, including kiln grit, dark spots, and minor glaze recesses.

Weight: 137.9 g
Dimensions: Height 4.8 cm, Diameter 6.5 cm


Stoneware oil bottles
were used in Korea during the Unified Silla and Goryeo periods to keep perfumed oils for the mixing of pigments used in cosmetics. These oils were generally made from fruit stones, rice bran, and castor seeds.


This oil bottle has been decorated with an inlay technique called 'sanggam',
which was invented by Korean potters in the twelfth century. The design was incised into the clay body of the vessel and then filled with slip (diluted clay). The excess slip would have been removed before the piece was biscuit fired, then the bottle was covered with a translucent celadon glaze and fired again. The development of the sanggam inlay technique signifies the elegance and innovativeness of Goryeo ceramic production; no similar inlay technique was used by Chinese craftsmen at this time.


Literature comparison:


Compare a related celadon-glazed slip-inlaid oil bottle, 8.1 cm diameter, dated to the second half of the 12th century, in the Harvard Art Museums, accession number 1991.554.


Auction result comparison:


Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 19 March 2013, lot 51
Price: USD 6,250 or approx.
EUR 7,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Korean slip-inlaid celadon stoneware oil bottle, Goryeo dynasty, 13th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, glaze, and inlaid decoration with similar chrysanthemum sprays.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 September 1999, lot 364
Price: USD 6,900 or approx.
EUR 11,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An inlaid celadon oil bottle, Goryeo dynasty, 12th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related glaze and size (4.5 cm) as well as the related form and inlaid decoration.




高麗王朝内嵌花卉紋油瓶

韓國，十二至十三世紀。 敞口，縮頸，鼓腹，淺圈足。圓形肩部飾有三個均勻間隔的纏枝菊花紋。其下是白線帶內的黑點裝飾邊。通體施釉，釉色細膩瑩潤，有開片。


來源：
英國古玩交易。

品相：
狀況非常好，有輕微磨損和燒製不規則，包括窯砂、黑點和輕微的釉面凹陷。

重量：137.9 克
尺寸：高 4.8 厘米, 直徑6.5 厘米


文獻比較：

比較一件相近的十二世紀下半葉青釉內嵌纏枝菊花紋，直徑8.1厘米，收藏於哈佛藝術博物館，館藏編號1991.554。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2013年3月19日，lot 51
價格：USD 6,250（相當於今日
EUR 7,500
）
描述：高麗朝十三世紀青磁象嵌纏枝菊花紋油瓶
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形，釉面，菊花紋裝飾。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，1999年9月15日，lot 364
價格：USD 6,900（相當於今日
EUR 11,500
）
描述：十二世紀高麗內嵌青釉油瓶
專家評論：比較非常相近的釉面和尺寸(4.5厘米) ，以及相近的外形和內嵌裝飾。