A celadon stoneware inlaid maebyong, Goryeo dynasty, 12th century | 青磁鉄地象嵌花紋瓶　高麗時代　12世紀

A private collector, Japan

Kochukyo Co., Ltd, Tokyo. 

Kobayashi Tadashi ed., Masterpieces of the Okada Museum of Art, vol. 1, Tokyo, 2013, p. 64, no. 45.

This superb iron-brown celadon-glazed and slip-inlaid maebyong, known in Japan as kuro-gorai or "Black Goryeo", exemplifies the striking aesthetic created by the stark contrast between its dark iron-brown underglaze and the white clay inlaid floral decoration. The intricately carved and inlaid floral motifs, set against the dark background, stand out vividly, showcasing the exceptional technical and artistic skills of Goryeo potters. This bold interplay of black and white is a forerunner of the later celadon inlay work, where the contrast between the celadon blue-green glaze and black or white inlaid designs became a hallmark of Goryeo ceramics.

Fragments maebyong vases with similar decoration and glaze have been excavated from the kiln site in Jinsan-ri, Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, suggesting that this piece was likely produced at the same kiln. This connection reinforces the importance of regional kilns, such as those in Gangjin and Haenam, in producing high-quality kuro-gorai and celadon wares for both domestic use and export, including to Japan, where they were highly prized.

Two closely related maebyong vases are in the National Museum of Korea, Seoul, one with insam-leaf slip-inlaid design (accession no. Bongwan2074), and another with cloud and crane slip-inlaid design (accession no.Deoksu4459). See also a third maebyong  with a similar but simpler floral design in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, illustrated in Ch'a, Mi-rae, Kwi-suk An, The Korean Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Seoul, 2021, p. 80; and a fourth example with chrysanthemum decoration in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (accession no. 15.29.1), see Meech, Julia -Pekarik, Suzanne G. Valenstein, and Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, vol. 11, Tokyo, 1982, p. 179, pl. 88.

來源

日本私人收藏

壺中居，東京

出版

小林忠編，《岡田美術館名品撰》，卷1，東京，2013年，編號45

此類青瓷鐵地象嵌花卉梅瓶，在日本被稱為「黑高麗」（kuro-gorai），充分展現了釉下深色鐵褐色與白色化妝土象嵌花卉紋飾之間鮮明對比所帶來的引人注目的美學效果。這些細緻雕刻與象嵌裝飾置於深色背景之上，格外突出，彰顯高麗陶工卓越的技藝與藝術造詣。黑白之間的大膽互動，正是後來青瓷象嵌工藝的雛形，此種工藝以青瓷藍綠釉與黑白象嵌紋飾的對比為特色，成為高麗瓷器的重要標誌。

出土於全羅南道海南郡珍山里窰址的類似裝飾與釉色的梅瓶碎片表明，此件梅瓶極可能出自同一窰址。此一連結進一步強調了地方窰場如康津與海南窰的重要性，這些窰場生產出高品質的「黑高麗」與青瓷作品，不僅供應國內需求，亦出口至日本，並在當地甚受珍視。

兩件相關的梅瓶現藏於韓國國立中央博物館，一件飾有樹葉象嵌紋飾（館藏編號Bongwan2074），另一件為雲鶴象嵌紋飾（館藏編號Deoksu4459）。另見克利夫蘭藝術博物館藏一件類似但裝飾較為簡約之梅瓶，飾有花卉紋，著錄於Ch'a, Mi-rae, Kwi-suk An編，《The Korean Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art》，首爾，2021年，頁80；亦可參見紐約大都會藝術博物館藏一件飾有菊花紋之梅瓶（館藏編號15.29.1），載於Meech, Julia -Pekarik, Suzanne G. Valenstein, and Marilyn Jenkins-Madina，《Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections: The Metropolitan Museum of Art》，東京，1982年，頁179，圖版88。