Saucer

Art Historical Context

This delicate saucer, crafted from clay in 13th-century Korea during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), exemplifies the everyday elegance of ceramic artistry from a golden age of Korean culture. Measuring just 4 5/8 inches (11.7 cm) in diameter, its modest scale suggests use in tea ceremonies, dining, or ritual offerings, reflecting the period's refined aesthetic sensibilities amid a flourishing Buddhist society. Goryeo ceramics represent a pinnacle of technical innovation, with potters mastering high-fired stoneware techniques that produced durable, subtly textured vessels. Though the artist remains unknown, this saucer's survival highlights the dynasty's export trade along the Silk Roads, carrying Korean craftsmanship to distant lands. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1917, it now graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art department, inviting us to appreciate the quiet beauty of functional objects that bridged utility and artistry. (178 words)