<em>Jar</em>, late 18th–19th century. Porcelain with glaze, 11 3/4 x 11in. (29.8 x 27.9cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of John M. Lyden, 84.262.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 84.262.8_transp4287.jpg)

Jar, late 18th–19th century. Porcelain with glaze, 11 3/4 x 11in. (29.8 x 27.9cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of John M. Lyden, 84.262.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 84.262.8_transp4287.jpg)

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Did moon jars just represent simplicity and imperfection or were they used to store something?

Moon jars were traditionally used for storing rice, soy sauce, or alcohol. They could also be used to display flowers.

But despite their functional purpose, they were admired as aesthetic objects in the home. I love that you can see where the two halves were joined!

It's unique in its "imperfection." It immediately caught my eye because of the simple white.

Yes, I think in today's world of mass-production, such clearly handcrafted objects are very appealing!

I love the moon jar!

Do you notice the seam in the body of the moon jar? It was actually made from two bowls, one inverted and stacked on the other. The slight asymmetry wasn't considered a flaw. Jars like these were prized as signs of naturalness and spontaneity.

I'm a fan of the moon jar. They're so whimsical!

I'm a fan as well. You can see in the middle a seam where two inverted bowls were joined to make this vessel. The slight asymmetry wasn't considered a flaw. Jars like these were prized as signs of naturalness and spontaneity!

The garment is really sophisticated when compared to Joseon period porcelain and the men's items.

It is definitely more ornate, that's true! The men's items you see from the Joseon period are less decorative and more austere not because the individuals who made them were less skilled, but because they were made with different aesthetic goals and social norms in mind.

Men of the Joseon period were influenced in their dress and in the things they surrounded themselves with by Confucianism. As a result, the clothes and items for men in the Joseon period were much simpler and more austere. Women, meanwhile, were still allowed to wear and own the bright, colorful objects that were associated with Buddhist aesthetics.

The moon jar is a great example of the simple and unadorned being desirable. Moon jars are made of two bowls joined together, and often have a visible seal where the two meet. The lopsided aspect of the jars is actually seen as more beautiful because it is subtle, simple, and natural, all desired attributes in a society a society with a Neo-Confucianist ideology.

Oh, I see.

Do you know how this was made? Was it coiled?

These works were thrown on wheels. The one you are looking at was made by making two bowl shapes and then joining them together.

Would love to know more about this moon jar. Because of the precarious firing process, did many moon jars not survive?

This is actually quite a popular and beloved ceramic form in the Korean tradition and quite a few examples survive!

This porcelain ceramic was made by joining two bowl-shaped halves. You can even see the seam around the jar's mid-section if you look closely. These jars were actually prized for their asymmetry and unevenness!

The official ideology of the Joseon dynasty, Neo-Confucianism, encouraged restraint, modesty, and naturalness in behavior and living and these ideals extended to the arts. The subtle color, minimal decoration and lopsided appearance of this jar is a great example of the way this philosophy manifested in production of ceramics!

By this time in Korea, porcelain was a favored material for household goods of the elite so Korean potters would have known how to handle this material pretty well when it came to firing.

Who made moon jars? Was pottery an accessible tool and skill?

Moon jars in the Joseon dynasty were produced at first by government run kilns, basically a porcelain production factory. That was in the 15th century and the moon jars produced would have been reserved for Korea's elite class only.

By the 18th century (when this jar was made), the rules reserving porcelain for the aristocracy loosened and kilns were producing porcelain in large quantities for wealthy households of various ranks.

Moon jars were made by Korean ceramicists. It was certainly a position that required training and skill. These were experts. In the late 16th century, the Japanese actually kidnapped Korean ceramicists to learn the secrets of porcelain manufacture.

Tell me more.

These two make a really interesting pair! The round jar dates to the 18th or 19th century and reflects a long standing tradition in Korea interested in subtle imperfection which reminds a viewer of the human hand that created the vessel.

The contemporary rectangular work by Kang Seok Young builds on this tradition adding a much more pronounced asymmetry in the form of a bend in the entire body of the vessel.

Jar

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

One of the most beloved ceramic forms in the Korean tradition is the moon jar. These large, round storage jars of undecorated white porcelain were formed in two parts and joined at the center, where a seam is often visible. Many moon jars slumped or tilted during firing, as the clay could not support its own weight, but their lopsided appearance is treasured as a charming imperfection.

Brooklyn’s moon jar is quite small. This unusual size has led experts to suggest that it is of later date than most of the classic examples.

MEDIUM Porcelain with glaze

Place Made: Korea

DATES late 18th–19th century

DYNASTY Joseon Dynasty

DIMENSIONS 11 3/4 x 11in. (29.8 x 27.9cm) Diameter at mouth: 5 1/2 in. (14 cm) Diameter at base: 5 1/8 in. (13 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 84.262.8

CREDIT LINE Gift of John M. Lyden

EXHIBITIONS

Arts of Korea

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

CAPTION Jar, late 18th–19th century. Porcelain with glaze, 11 3/4 x 11in. (29.8 x 27.9cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of John M. Lyden, 84.262.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 84.262.8_transp4287.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 84.262.8_transp4287.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Did moon jars just represent simplicity and imperfection or were they used to store something?

Moon jars were traditionally used for storing rice, soy sauce, or alcohol. They could also be used to display flowers.

But despite their functional purpose, they were admired as aesthetic objects in the home. I love that you can see where the two halves were joined!

It's unique in its "imperfection." It immediately caught my eye because of the simple white.

Yes, I think in today's world of mass-production, such clearly handcrafted objects are very appealing!

I love the moon jar!

I'm a fan of the moon jar. They're so whimsical!

The garment is really sophisticated when compared to Joseon period porcelain and the men's items.

Oh, I see.

Do you know how this was made? Was it coiled?

These works were thrown on wheels. The one you are looking at was made by making two bowl shapes and then joining them together.

Would love to know more about this moon jar. Because of the precarious firing process, did many moon jars not survive?

This is actually quite a popular and beloved ceramic form in the Korean tradition and quite a few examples survive!

By this time in Korea, porcelain was a favored material for household goods of the elite so Korean potters would have known how to handle this material pretty well when it came to firing.

Who made moon jars? Was pottery an accessible tool and skill?

Tell me more.

The contemporary rectangular work by Kang Seok Young builds on this tradition adding a much more pronounced asymmetry in the form of a bend in the entire body of the vessel.

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Jar

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

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Jar

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

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