The exhibition Lunar Phases: Korean Moon Jars continues the Denver Art Museum’s collaboration with the National Museum of Korea (NMK) and other institutions in Korea to explore country’s art and culture. These elegant white globular jars (dal hangari) particularly flourished in the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897) during the 17th and 18th centuries, when naturalism and spontaneity became the desired aesthetic. At the same time, the simplicity of their shapes and each ceramic’s unique hue have been esteemed and respected in Korea and across the world for centuries.
They were also highly valued by Western studio potters, such as Bernard Leach (1887-1979) and Lucy Rie (1902-1995), with contemporary Korean ceramicists still being influenced and inspired by them, wishing to reinterpret them for a modern audience. Contemporary works are also included in the exhibition.
The show considers how the traditional moon jar has evolved into a national artistic icon of Korea and how contemporary artists, both within and beyond Korea, reflect on its shape and beauty. This is achieved by tracing the artistic phases of the moon jar through 12 ceramics spanning from the 18th century to the present, with each work representing a month of the lunar calendar.
Neo-Confucian Thought in Korea
Moon jars were closely linked to Neo-Confucian thought and the order of society during the Joseon dynasty, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries. Kim Hyunjung, in the essay ‘Joseon White Porcelain Jars’ (2019) for the National Museum of Korea, writes: ‘Joseon society was based on Neo-Confucianism, which prioritised “propriety” above all else. Thus, the Joseon rulers established a set of social and behavioural norms to guide the interactions and activities of the people and implemented Neo-Confucian rites to be performed according to strict procedures.
One of the keys to achieving propriety and quelling self-interest was restraint, through which one could appropriately control desires and emotions. With this in mind, the Joseon literati pursued a life of austerity and purity, with an emphasis on cultivating internal cleanness. Rejecting the pettiness of greed, they cherished plainness and simplicity, ultimately seeking a life of modest contention in harmony with nature. Hence, Joseon white porcelain is the physical embodiment of all the Joseon ideals: restraint, order, simplicity, modesty, contention, and acceptance of one’s station in life’.
In the 15th century, circa 1467-68, the Joseon royal family established a government kiln in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, to create white porcelain ware for royal use. The official kilns were called Bunwon and were managed by the Saongwon department of the court (the government office that officially managed the royal kitchens). The chosen area was known for its access to clay, a pure water supply, and dense forests, which facilitated the high-volume production of superior white porcelains for the court. Transportation was also easy with good access to the capital and court based in Hanyang (present-day Seoul). The kiln in Geumsa-ri operated from 1734 to 1751 and was renowned for producing other milky white porcelain as well as moon jars. The physical site of the kiln, however, was relocated within the Gwangju area about every 10 years to benefit from a new location with access to a fresh supply of firewood.
Production During the 18th Century
During the reigns of King Yeongjo (r 1724-76) and King Jeongjo (r 1776-1800), a period of post-war stability had arrived in the kingdom, which enabled the Joseon ceramics industry to enjoy a remarkable renaissance. Production of moon jars particularly flourished during this time, during an era when the country was enjoying social and economic recovery after the turbulent decades of the Japanese invasion (Imjin War) of the 16th century and Manchu invasions of the 17th century. In 1752, during King Yeongjo’s reign, the official kiln, which had moved every 10 years, became permanently situated in Bunwon-ri at the confluence of the South and North Hangang (river).
The Bunwon kilns continued to function as the official court kilns until their privatisation in the 1880s. Products known to be made at the Bunwon reveal that several grades of white ware were manufactured in the kilns – not all were intended for the court, with many probably made for different offices of the central government and for wealthy private patrons. This shows that by the 16th century, white ware was no longer the sole domain of the court or the privileged elite living in Hanyang. At a later period, regional kilns all over the Korean peninsula began actively producing white ware – albeit of lesser quality than those from the Bunwon – to satisfy the growing demand.
Classification of Moon Jars
Not all plain white porcelain vessels are officially classified as moon jars – only those jars of a large, spherical shape can qualify. Although during the Joseon dynasty these jars were produced in a range of heights, from 29 to nearly 50 cm, the Korean Cultural Heritage Service officially accepts those that are spherical, unornamented, white-glazed vessels that measure at least 40 cm in height. The height of a moon jar is usually roughly equal to its radius at its widest point.
To overcome the difficulties of creating very large jars, the vessel was traditionally fired in two halves (upper and lower) and then later joined together, giving them a seam across the middle of the body, which produces a shape that is not entirely symmetrical or spherical in form. This organic shape gives the jar a more natural quality that some say is reminiscent of the moon itself, which often appears to the naked eye slightly misshapen.
In the Joseon period, clean and flawless white porcelain was considered most suitable for everyday use since it reflected the Confucian idea of valuing modesty and frugality. This is also manifest in the choice of glazes used in moon jars. Early moon jars can often be dated by their glaze and colours; white porcelain tended to be a snowy, creamy white colour up until the 16th century, after which they tended to have a bluish hue until the end of the late 18th century. The white ceramics made in the 19th century tended to have a more greyish colour with a cloudy glaze. During the 17th and 18th centuries, these jars were often used for food storage, with their contents ranging from grains to fermented food.
To explore this world and to link the past with the present, the exhibition is showing 21 objects in total and features five paintings, two photographs, one video work, and one installation work. The painting by Kim Whanki (1913-1974), The Moon, Symphonie in White (1954), perfectly sums up the continuing fascination with this form of porcelain. The artist used the motif of moon jars for many of his paintings. Moon jars are also the subject of the photographer Koo Bohnchang (b 1953), who helped introduce the porcelain to a new generation in the 1980s. Koo shared his thoughts with The Korea Times in 2024: ‘I have always been fascinated with discovering the traces of time contained in objects and people, no matter how unremarkable they seem, and bringing out those microhistories through my camera lens’.
Lunar Phases, Korean Moon Jars, until 8 June, 2025, Denver Art Museum, denverartmuseum.org
