Cultural influence: Dragon Jar

Although conflict may not immediately spring to mind when gazing at this graceful vessel, the history of “blue-and-white” type ceramics is closely tied to global politics and the tensions that sometimes accompany them. A highlight of HoMA’s collection, this jar consists of a white body and clear glaze decorated with a dragon painted in underglaze blue cobalt oxide. Blue-and-white ceramics are most often discussed in the context of international trade, as the elegant style and durability of cobalt under high firing temperatures have led to their enduring popularity in much of Asia and Europe.

Historically, the best-known blue-and-white wares were made in China. These porcelains had a diverse market, from their early origins in the 13th century as goods to be exported as far away as Asia Minor (present day Turkey), to their use in the imperial courts, to their extensive exportation to Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Korea began to produce blue-and-white wares in the 15th century for court use rather than for trade. Cobalt was not only expensive but also scarce, and the best material came through China.

Throughout history, war and other conflicts have often disrupted supply chains. Events such as the 17th-century Manchu invasion of China led to extended periods when blue-and-white wares could not be produced. Additionally, Korea had good reason to be wary of international contacts. It suffered devastating Japanese invasions at the end of the 16th century, while increasing European encroachments into Asia led to conflicts such as the 19th-century Opium Wars in China. Korea itself would eventually be subjected to colonization, not by Europeans, but by Japan, which formally colonized the peninsula in 1910. Despite this tumultuous past, HoMA’s Dragon Jar, acquired in honor of the centennial of Korean immigration to the United States (which first came through Hawaiʻi, itself annexed to the United States in 1898), serves as a reminder of Korea’s important contributions to world culture, and to the diversity of Hawaiʻi.

— Shawn Eichman, Curator, Asian Art

Dragon Jar
Korea, Joseon dynasty, late 18th century
Porcelain with cobalt blue underglaze decoration
Purchase, in honor of the Centennial of Korean Immigration to the United States, 2003 (12387.1)