A white-glazed moon jar, Korea, Joseon dynasty, 19th century

Collection of Reverend William Pritchard.

Moon jars (dalhangari) are among the most celebrated ceramic forms of Korea's Joseon dynasty. Characterized by their ample globular shape and soft white surface, they evoke an image of the full moon through form and glaze rather than ornament. The subtle coloration of each jar is determined by the mineral composition of the porcelain body and the thinly applied glaze, which may appear clear, cloudy, or faintly bluish depending on firing conditions. The visual calm and structural balance of these vessels reflect a broader cultural preference for understatement and moral clarity that informed elite taste in late Joseon Korea.

Archaeological evidence from official kiln sites indicates that moon jars first appeared in the early seventeenth century, with production continuing and expanding throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the form gained wider circulation and was adopted by private kilns. The vessels were constructed by throwing two hemispherical sections separately on the wheel, which were then joined at the rim to form the upper and lower halves. After assembly, the jar was dipped in a transparent or white-tinged glaze and fired at high temperature. While care was taken to ensure structural harmony between the two sections, deliberate asymmetries were preserved. Slight irregularities in profile, contour, and surface texture reveal both the inherent qualities of the clay and the restraint of the potter, who avoided excessive refinement in order to retain the vitality imparted by material and hand.

Closely related examples are preserved in major museum collections, including a seventeenth-century moon jar in the Art Institute of Chicago (accession no. 2001.413) and an eighteenth-century example in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (accession no. M.2000.15.114). Two related examples were recently sold at auction, including one sold at Christie's New York, 26th March 1991, lot 285, and then again in these rooms, 22nd September 2022, lot 503; and another sold at Christie's New York, 21st March 2023, lot 179.