Celadon Vase: White Slip Sgraffito (Bakji) with Plum Blossom and Crane Motif

This piece tends to remain with those who recognise restraint as a form of depth, and clarity as a quiet discipline rather than an absence of ornament.

“A pale surface holds the trace of branches, as if winter has paused mid-breath.”

This celadon vase is shaped around an idea of measured contrast—between surface and body, presence and removal, stillness and movement. Its form is calm and self-contained, allowing the decoration to unfold gradually rather than declare itself at once.

Formed and finished by Jo Byeong-gwan, the vessel is made in celadon clay and coated with a layer of white slip, which is then selectively carved away using the bakji technique. Known in Korean ceramics as bakji (剝地), this process reveals the celadon body beneath through deliberate subtraction. Where the surface is cut back, the characteristic celadon hue emerges—soft, mineral, and quietly luminous—allowing colour to appear not as an applied layer, but as something uncovered and released.

Rather than building imagery on the surface, the maker allows the motif to come forward through incision. Branches, birds, and contours feel at once drawn and exposed, their lines guided by removal rather than addition. The resulting surface carries a subtle rhythm, further deepened by the fine network of natural glaze crackle that settles across the form over time.

Across this pale ground, branches of plum blossom extend in quiet arcs. The plum tree, maehwa in Korean culture, blooms in late winter, often before the snow has fully receded. It has long symbolised endurance, integrity, and the strength to flower under restraint. Here, the blossoms are rendered in red clay, their colour restrained yet resolute, standing gently apart from the cooler celadon tones. The red does not dominate; it punctuates.

Interspersed among the branches, cranes move with understated grace. In Korean visual tradition, the crane is associated with longevity and moral refinement, often seen as a mediator between heaven and earth. Their presence here is neither dramatic nor narrative. Instead, they appear as passing forms—gliding, turning, continuing—suggesting duration rather than event.

Around the mouth of the vase, a carved geometric band encircles the rim. This detail functions as a quiet threshold, separating the open interior from the surrounding imagery, while reinforcing the vessel’s sense of balance. Organic movement and structural order are held in careful equilibrium.

In this work, resilience and longevity—embodied by plum blossom and crane—are not asserted through symbolism alone, but through the manner of making itself. Subtraction becomes expression, restraint becomes clarity, and the celadon surface reveals its depth precisely where it has been allowed to breathe.

This vase does not seek attention through brilliance or density. Its presence unfolds through sustained looking, where carved lines, celadon colour, and muted red blossoms continue to reveal themselves slowly, asking for time rather than recognition.

Dimensions

• Diameter- 13cm (5.12 inch)
• Height- 14.5cm (5.71 inch)

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