Page 115 - Symbols_of_Identity_Korean_Ceramics_from the Chang Collection

imilar in shape to a miniature Buddhist alms bowl, this
Swater pot has a lip that turns inwards and broad shoulders
that taper to a waist and a flat, unglazed base. The surface is
decorated with a branch of plum blossoms painted in cobalt
blue. Double rings circle the mouth and just above the foot.

Water pots have the same function as water droppers, except
a miniature ladle is used to scoop water onto the inkstone
instead of dripping it on directly from a water dropper. The
first to flower each year, plum blossoms stand for perse-
96.
Water pot verance and purity—characteristics of an ideal Confucian
18th century, Joseon scholar. The five petaled flower also stands for the “five bless-
Porcelain with underglaze cobalt decoration ings” (Kr: obok, Ch: wŭfú): longevity, wealth, health, love of
H: 4 cm, W: 6.6 cm virtue, and natural death.

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