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One of the most beautiful Goryeo celadons,
Celadon Prunus Vase with Inlaid Cloud and Crane Design
(National Treasure 68, Kansong Art Museum)
"The keys to design are order and variation."
by Yu Hong-jun, a professor at Myongji University,
the former administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea
Form
Color
Pattern
The three beauties of ceramics
Form: It has a voluminous form and elegantly-curved lines.
Color: Its color is jade green, which was called as celadon green by Goryeo people.
Pattern: It is inlaid with cirrus clouds and cranes.
Cirrus clouds and cranes in the sky reminded Goryeo people of peace.
This is why a number of inlaid celadons are decorated with
one or two cranes.
Some cranes fly up slowly with cirrus clouds,
while other cranes are flying fast, following cirrus clouds.
Sometimes, two cranes fly together.
However,
the potter who made this prunus vase
seems to have wanted to draw the sky filled with clouds and cranes.
If it is too little, it leaves too much space.
If it is too much, it is too complex.
So,
he made seven circular windows in six columns.
A total of 42 circular windows and
42 cranes in the circular windows are flying up,
and 23 cranes outside the circular windows are flying down.
While it maintains an order, it shows variations.
The keys to design are order and variation.
This is why the Celadon Prunus Vase with Inlaid Cloud and Crane Design is
acknowledged as one of the most beautiful Goryeo celadons and national treasures.