Long-necked Celadon Bottle with Incised Lotus Design

Goryeo Period (12th Century)

This long-necked bottle (janggyeongbyeong) is composed of a tall, slender neck rising vertically from a full, rounded body of generous proportions. The decoration is executed in bold incised lines: fully opened lotus blossoms are carved across the body, while a band of ruyi-head motifs encircles the vessel below the shoulder, and a band of lotus-petal (yeonpan) design runs along the upper shoulder. A clear, limpid bisaek celadon glaze is applied with great refinement across the entire surface, imparting a soft and restrained luster. Surviving examples of this long-necked form are rare both in Korea and abroad; it represents a type of wine bottle produced and used almost exclusively during the Goryeo period, distinguished above all by its characteristically elongated neck. This piece stands as a superb example of the form, presumed to have been produced at the Sadang-ri kilns in Gangjin around the mid-twelfth century.