Wine Cask with Stamped Floral Decoration

A cask-shaped vessel, such as this work, is believed to have stored different kinds of liquids, including wine, sesame oil, and even water. Having its small mouth in the middle made it useful for not only storing a beverage but also carrying it to a ritual or ceremonial site. To make this work, the artist first applied white slip, then used inlaid and stamped techniques as decorative patterns. Such repetitive and tactile expressions inspired many Korean modern and contemporary ceramic artists in response to the global trend of Abstract Expressionism.