This paper has a aim not only to consider the formative origin, the stylistic characteristic, and the whole stylistic change of white porcelain placenta jars but also to examine the stream of production white porcelain for royal family.
Placenta jar ...
This paper has a aim not only to consider the formative origin, the stylistic characteristic, and the whole stylistic change of white porcelain placenta jars but also to examine the stream of production white porcelain for royal family.
Placenta jar is the vessel which baby placenta was put in. It is a pair of consisting of inner container and outer container with four ears and a cap. The product of white porcelain placenta jars has something to do with the royal family's placenta burial thoughts that the rise and fall of a nation related with the baby's placenta.
The formative origin of placenta jars can find placenta burial system of Goryeo Dynasty and vessel shape of celadon with four ears.
White porcelain placenta jars for royal family began to be producted at King Sejo's era. Also the type of white porcelain placenta jars was formed toward 1467. About 1440 royal family changed the ritual vessel as white porcelain from metal. In addition all the porcelain for royal family was cahnged as white porcelain. This situation had an influence on making placenta jars. In other words, placenta jars was made of white pocealin. Around 1467 Joseon Dynasty installed Sa Ong Won's branch, Bun Won(分院), change came to the placenta jar. In other words, the basic form consisted of an inner container, an outer container, and a clay slate with a note referring to placenta.
After installation of Bun Won, placenta jars that had a great stride in quality were producted to late Joseon period with a typiacal form. However, the stylistic characteristic had been changed according to the periodical change. White porcelain jars are divided into four periods in accordance with the stylistic characteristic, managing system of national kiln, and the periodical situation.
The first period is from installation of Bun Won to the first half of 16th century that showed the stable vessel shape and glaze. The voluminous shape and the fine blue glaze were developed in the 16th century. Typical features during this period were the outward-flowing mouth, wide shoulder, narrow base, long body, and C-shaped ring attached to the shoulder.
The second period is from the late 16th century to the late 17th century that recovered from the ruins of Japanese Invasion. During this period, a typical jar had a short body, wide shoulder, and bluish gray glaze. Especially, the feature of this period is advent of dish-shaped placenta epitaph.
The third period is the King Yeongjo and Jeongjo's era. In this period, a typical jar had a shorter body and milky white glaze. As the late 18th century approached, the basic form began to change. The general shape shifted to a wide mouth, an upright, or lengthened neck, a potbelly shape, and bluish white glaze.
The fourth period is the 19th century that was distorted the vessel shape. The typical placenta jar of the 19th century had the shape of short body, four ears attached to lower part of body, and bluish white glaze.
White Porcelain placenta jars producted through the whole Joseon period is the vessel for the special purpose in a royal family. The typical form of vessel shape was built up in the early Joseon period, continued to be made. However, coming to the 19th century white porcelain placenta jars appear to degenerate due to the decline of production technology and the imported porcelain.