Brush Holder

In the 15th century, during Korea’s long Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897), underglaze blue porcelains based on Chinese models were first created by Korean potters. However, the style was judged to be too ostentatious in the conservative, Confucian environment of the period, and was soon restricted to the royal family. This ban was lifted in the early 19th century, and fine examples like these were created for members of the elite yangban 양반 scholar-official class.

Objects made for the scholar’s desk, like this unusually large brush holder, were not only functional but also represented such literary pursuits as the study of the Confucian classics, poetry, and calligraphy that defined the yangban.