Wine Flask with Plum and Bamboo Design 백자 철화 매화·대나무무늬 편병 (白磁鐵畵梅竹文扁甁) 1600s Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) Glazed porcelain with underglazed iron design Overall: 21.9 x 19 x 8.4 cm (8 5/8 x 7 1/2 x 3 5/16 in.) John L. Severance Fund 1999.44 DID YOU KNOW? The shape of this bottle can be traced all the way back to an ancient Persian pilgrim’s flask. DESCRIPTION This Korean wine flask embodies Lin Bu’s poetic line "Plums’ subtle scent pervades the moonlit dusk": its circular shape alludes to the full moon, and the gray color unintentionally spread on the flask’s lower part suggests the permeating scent of plum. The other side of the flask features a bamboo design. The plum and bamboo derive from the motif of the Four Gentlemen, which compares four plants to Confucian scholarjunzi, or "gentlemen." CITATIONS Kang, Kyeong-sook. History of Korean Ceramics [韓國陶磁史]. Seoul: Yekyong, 2012. Treasures from Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty, 1392-1910. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2014. Cleveland Museum of Art, “Major Contemporary German Painting Acquired by CMA,” June 9, 1999, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org Jeong, Wonjoo. "The Origin and Characteristics of White Porcelain Flask in the Joseon Dynasty [조선시대 백자편병(白磁扁甁)의 연원과 성격]." Misulsahakbo: Reviews on the Art History vol. 46, 6 (2016): 33-62. www.dbpia.co.kr EXHIBITION HISTORY Cleveland Museum of Art, (3/27-8/28/11); "The Lure of Painted Poetry" cat. no. 77 The Lure of Painted Poetry: Cross-cultural Text and Image in Korean and Japanese Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (April 15-August 21, 2011).