ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Material

Manufacturing Technique

Place Made

Date Collected

Date Owned

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Measurements

Item Classes

Condition

Accession Number

Narrative

Collected by J. H. Morris while he was chief engineer for Seoul Railway, Korea.

Description

Spittoon style bowl (taho (타호). Bulbous base, then a shallow bowl with a wide flaring rim. Unmarked. Numerous old breaks with old adhesive (three pieces currently).

Specific Techniques

The upper and lower parts would have been made separately, then attached together afterward.

History Of Use

Celadon taho (타호) were believed to have been used as tea utensils, used for the disposal of tea dregs and leaves, during the Goryeo dynasty of Korea (918–1392). Goryeo celadon 'spittoons' were closely associated with tea culture and tea ceremony. All types of pottery produced during the Goryeo dynasty (고려; 高麗; 918–1392) are referred to as Goryeo dojagi (Goryeo ware; 고려도자기; 高麗陶磁器). Celadon wares (green-grey glazed ceramics), known as Goryeo cheongja (고려청자; 高麗青磁), were the main type of ceramic produced during this period in Korea. Celadon originated in China, and Goryeo potters learned the techniques from the traditions of the Song dynasty (960–1279). The Buan (부안군) and Gangjin (강진군) regions in Jeolla Province (전라도) became major production centres by the mid-twentieth century, and Gangjin remains the production centre of the revival of Goryeo cheongja and modern celadon. Tea was introduced to Korea from Tang dynasty (618-907) China as early as the seventh century. During the Goryeo dynasty tea was used in royal and Buddhist ceremonies as well as in daily practice. An establishment called Dabang (다방; 茶房) was established for serving tea. As time passed, drinking tea in daily life thrived among the royal family, nobility, monks and elites. The prevalence of tea drinking and the demand for tea utensils stimulated the development of the Korean ceramic industry, leading to the creation of various types of high-quality celadon tea utensils such as bowls, cups, cup stands, and ewers.