A groupf Silla stoneware vessels and a figure, partly with ash glaze

Description:

Korea, Silla period and later
H. 3,5 - 18,5 cm
A moulded vessel, a duck-shaped mould, an equestrian figure, two cups in a stand and Japanese sake bowl, 20th century.
From the collection of Werner Stahl (1936-2024), collected in the 1970s
Glazed clay vessels from the Silla period (57 BC - 935 AD) are among the central products of early Korean ceramics. They are üpredominantly high-fired stoneware from reducing firing, which gives them their characteristic grey colour and high density. Typical shapes are bottles, storage jars, bowls and stemware with an openwork base. The surfaces remain unglazed, but are smoothed or burnt; decoration appears in the form of notched glasses, stamped patterns or sculptural applications. These ceramics were used both in everyday life and as grave goods. Finds from Gyeongju and other centres show a division of labour in large hangings, which indicates specialised workshops and state-organised production. With the introduction of Buddhism, unglazed vessels took on additional ritual significance. In the United Silla period, shapes and wall thicknesses became more refined before glazed celadon wares of the Goryeo period lost their position in domestic use - Slightly chipped