Bottle in the Form of a Fulling Block

This extraordinary early 12th-century Korean vessel is known by the Japanese term for mallet or fulling block ("kinuta"). In the past, Japanese and Korean women would use large mallets to pound wrinkles out of fabrics and the shape of this vessel resembles those tools. The color and quality of this vessel’s crackled glaze, which is exceptional, closely relates to examples of Chinese Ru wares of the Northern Song dynasty. This kinuta also recalls the best Chinese Longquan porcelains of the Southern Song dynasty. The elegant simplicity of this bottle, its subtle coloration, and skillful production make it one of the rarest and finest Korean objects in the Museum's collection. It represents the highest level of design and execution among the porcelains and porcelaneous stoneware of Korea in any period. In addition, it easily holds its own against, and even challenges, the best imperial ceramic wares produced in China during the Northern and Southern Song dynasties.