Large White Porcelain Bottle with Underglaze Blue Decoration of Plum Blossoms and Bamboo

Joseon Dynasty (18th Century)

This large bottle is distinguished by its full, rounded body, a long and upright neck, a widely flared mouth, and a tall foot ring — elements that together lend the vessel a graceful, commanding presence. The lower body is decorated in cobalt blue with a delicate ground pattern, above which branches of plum blossoms in full bloom and an ancient, gnarled plum trunk are rendered with quiet elegance; on the reverse, bamboo stalks ascend in bold, sweeping strokes.

The glaze is a soft milky white, with areas of light brownish discoloration on parts of the surface — a mark of the vessel’s considerable age. Believed to have been pro-duced at the Geumsa-ri kiln in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province during the mid-18th century, this tall and dignified bottle exemplifies the finest quality of Joseon official-ware porcelain, with the cool blue of the cobalt playing beautifully against the gentle warmth of the milky-white glaze. The vessel is notably larger than an ordinary wine bottle, and the foot ring retains traces of sand spur firing, offering insight into ce-ramic production methods of the period.