Korea’s artistic traditions are distinct from those of China and Japan, although Korea was often influenced by the cultures and religions of other Asian countries. Ornaments, jewelry, and ceramics from the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668) attest to the vitality and independent aesthetic sense of early Korean art. Later objects reflect the growing impact of Buddhism, which came to Korea from China.
Korean art is characterized by simple, natural forms enriched with elaborate, meticulous decoration. This tendency is best seen in green-glazed ceramics, and in silver-gilt vessels and other Buddhist objects produced for the court and aristocracy during the Goryeo dynasty (A.D. 918–1392). During the long Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), refined and aristocratic greenwares were followed by more modest, natural Buncheong wares, and robustly potted porcelains decorated in red and blue under a clear glaze. The simpler shapes and subdued colors of these later ceramics reflect the values of the Joseon-dynasty scholarly elite.
The MFA’s collection of Korean art is best known for its outstanding ceramics, dating from earliest times to the nineteenth century, which were bequeathed in 1950 by Charles Bain Hoyt. The collection also includes masterpieces of Buddhist painting and sculpture, outstanding lacquerwares, and a unique twelfth-century silver-gilt ewer and basin.
|
