January 25 – June 11, 2000
Arts of Korea, Sackler Wing, second floor
The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present a selection of Korean ceramics from the renowned collection of the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, beginning January 25. Representing the periods of highest achievement in the peninsula's long ceramic tradition, the 48 exquisite works in Korean Ceramics from the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka will explore a variety of ceramic forms and techniques. Dating from the 12th to the 19th century, the works on view will include luminous jade-green celadon wares of the Koryo dynasty (918-1392) as well as superb examples of the innovative stoneware known as punch'ong and white porcelains of the Choson dynasty (1392-1910). The objects will be exhibited alongside the Metropolitan's own Korean art collection in the Museum's permanent Arts of Korea gallery, which was inaugurated in June 1998.
The exhibition was made possible by The Kun-Hee Lee Fund for Korean Art.
Philippe de Montebello, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, stated: "We are grateful to the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, and to its director, Ikutaro Itoh, who made possible this significant loan exhibition. It will provide visitors with the opportunity to discover the distinctive art of the Korean potter and the context in which the ceramics were produced."
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics was established in 1982 by the City of Osaka to house the renowned Ataka collection, a gift from the 21 companies of the Sumitomo Group consisting of some 1,000 ceramics, more than two-thirds of which were produced
in Korea. Today, the museum's collection, which has doubled in size, ranks among the finest assemblages of Korean ceramics in the world.
Nearly half of the objects on view in the exhibition will be ceramics created during the Koryo dynasty, when firing and glazing techniques perfected by the Korean potter were prized highly by the Chinese. One of the highlights of the exhibition is a 12th-century ewer with a reverse inlaid floral design. The fully rounded body, finely executed design, and reverse inlay technique distinguish this ewer as a masterpiece among Korean inlaid celadon wares. Other noteworthy pieces are an exquisite celadon water-dropper in the shape of a girl and a classic maebyong (prunus vase) decorated with a design of bamboo and cranes, both of which date to the 12th century. The exhibition also will feature outstanding examples of Choson ceramics with underglaze cobalt-blue, copper-red, and iron-brown decorations.
Publication
The exhibition will be accompanied by a 120-page catalogue available at the Museum's Bookshop.
Educational Programs
In conjunction with the exhibition, the Metropolitan Museum will offer gallery talks and a program for teachers.
The exhibition was organized by Ikutaro Itoh, Director of the Museum of Oriental Ceramics in Osaka, in consultation with Judith Smith, Department of Asian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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November 10, 1999
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