chawan 茶碗 (tea bowl), unknown maker from Korea

Exhibition Label: "Nature/Natural," Jul-2014, Kris Ercums Ceramic ritual objects demonstrate the emergence and flourishing of religious practice on the Korean peninsula. Objects like the kundika were used to sprinkle water in rituals dedicated to Buddhist divinities while baekja (white ware) was utilized in Confucian ancestral worship during the Joseon dynasty. While many of these ritual objects were initially created using expensive materials such as bronze, over time ceramic versions were increasingly used, which preserved the original ritual significance and made them more readily accessible to a wider audience. Many contemporary ceramic artists continue to draw inspiration form earlier ceramic traditions, expand this historical legacy in the world today. Teaching Gallery Label: "The Tea Ceremony," Apr-2014, Kris Imants Ercums Buncheong ware was made at over 200 kiln sites in Korea, but production of such ceramics ceased in Korea following Japan’s invasion in the 1590s when many Buncheong potters were forceably taken to Japan to produce pottery like this for use in the tea ceremony.