White Porcelain Water Dropper in Palm Leaf Shape

Joseon Period (19th Century)

This water dropper is modeled after the bold, expansive form of a plantain (pacho) leaf: the undulating contour of the leaf edge and the pattern of the leaf veins are rendered in fine incised lines, faithfully evoking the natural form of the subject, and the water inlet is pierced along the rim of the leaf. A white porcelain glaze suffused with a faint pale blue is applied with care across the entire surface, imparting a limpid, refined luster. The piece was produced at the Bunwon-ri kiln in Gwangju during the first half of the nineteenth century, as one among the diverse range of water droppers associated with that celebrated manufactory. The crystalline clarity of the glaze and the distinctive vessel form — which captures with remarkable fidelity the simple yet full-bodied presence of the plantain leaf — combine to produce a work of exceptional refinement, and surviving examples of this quality are rare.