Jar with Dragon Design
Unknown Artist
1700s
Medium
porcelain with underglaze blue
Dimensions
h. 39.5 cm · diameter of base 14.7 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession Number
1986.85
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
A mythical creature believed to have the power to make rain, the dragon is a prominent symbol of rulers in premodern East Asia. In underglaze cobalt blue, a dragon on this jar is depicted flying through clouds to catch a flaming, wish-granting pearl called a cintamani. In the royal court, the shorter type of dragon jar was used to hold wine, the tall type, such as this one, was for holding a bouquet of flowers.