Photo: National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea

Bottle with peony design

19th century

This motif of rock and tree peony is adopted from China and unites emblems of two of the most longed-for blessings. Natural symbols of longevity, rocks enhance the design of a variety of art objects, while the peony, known in China as the "king of flowers," is synonymous with prosperity and honor.

Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration

9 1/16 x 5 1/2 in. (23 x 14 cm)

Thomas D. Stimson Memorial Collection, Gift of Frank S. Bayley III

82.127

Photo: National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe, Feb. 17 - May 7, 2000.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Korean Sensibilities: The Colors of Life, Sept. 17, 2002 - Dec. 5, 2005.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.

Published ReferencesFinlay, Robert. "The Pilgrim Art: Cultures of Porcelain in World History". Berkeley, Los Angeles and London: University of California Press, 2010, illustrated pl. 17

Emerson, Julie, Jennifer Chen, & Mimi Gardner Gates, "Porcelain Stories, From China to Europe", Seattle Art Museum, 2000, pg. 93

"Korean Art Collection in the Seattle Art Museum, U.S.A." Tajaon Kwangyaoksi: Kungnip Munhwaja Yaonguso, 2015, pg. 94.

Foong, Ping, Xiaojin Wu, and Darielle Mason. "An Asian Art Museum Transformed." Orientations vol. 51, no. 3 (May/June 2020): p. 61, reproduced fig. 22 (installation view).

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