Celadon Ewer with Inlaid Lotus, Reed and Willow Design

Goryeo Period (14th Century)

This ewer exemplifies the classic melon-shaped (chamoe) form: a ribbed body divided into vertical lobes evoking the surface of a musk melon, paired with a straight, upright spout, a handle that rises vertically, and a fitted cover. The decoration is executed in black-and-white inlay: each of the six lobed panels is framed by double lines of black and white, and within each panel a composition of pendant bead curtain (juryeom) motifs in the upper register and freely rendered willow, reed, and lotus designs below is depicted with a sense of spacious ease. A band of lotus-petal motifs encircles the lower body. The glaze is a greenish-blue celadon applied across the entire surface, with a smooth and even luster. Produced at the Sadang-ri kilns in Gangjin and related centers during the first half of the fourteenth century, this ewer belongs to a group of melon-shaped vessels characteristic of the period, distinguished by the freely rendered inlaid decoration of willows, reeds, and lotus — motifs that enjoyed widespread popularity in Goryeo celadon production of the era.