White Porcelain Bottle

36.2 cm (14.25 in) height
Joseon dynasty, 15c
National Museum of Korea, Seoul

The Confucian ideals of the Joseon dynasty impacted all areas of Korean life and culture, including the arts. Decoration was out, and simplicity and austerity were in, as this example shows. Perhaps it was some impulse towards a purity of spirit that the tastemakers wanted to impart to their Yangban followers, but for whatever reason this artistic puritanism became ingrained in the Neo-Confucian ideal embraced by the rulers of the new dynasty. Up to a point, that is, because the decorative impulse is almost unstoppable. In the 15th-16th century the spontaneous and informal buncheong (punchŏng) wares were being produced and enjoyed, as well as white porcelains with underglaze painting in cobalt blue and iron brown.