Celadon Toad-Shaped Byeoru with Paste-on-Paste Design (Treasure)
Celadon Toad-Shaped Byeoru with Paste-on-Paste Design
청자 퇴화문두꺼비모양 벼루 | 靑磁 堆花文蟾形 硯
Goryeo | Treasure (7 x 13.9 x 6.8 cm)
excavated from Taeanseon Vessel recovered from the waters of Daeseom,
Taean, Chungcheongnam-do
National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage(Refer to the homepage
This celadon toad-shaped byeoru (inkstone) is the first
submerged artifact to have been designated as a Treasure.
During the Goryeo era, many sculptural celadon pieces
modeled after real and imaginary animals (mandarin duck,
duck, lion, giraffe, dragon, phoenix, etc.) were created.
They are acclaimed for their elaborate depiction and color
representation. This byeoru was found in a shipwreck
recovered from the waters of Daeseom in Taean,
Chungcheongnam-do, from 2007 to 2008. Through further
investigations, it was discovered that this byeoru was one of
25,000 celadon pieces that sank with their ship on the way
to the capital city of Gaegyeong from Gangjin, Jeollanam-do,
in the 12th century. Its production site, production period, and
destination were relatively easy to identify. It is known to be
the first toad-shaped byeoru made with celadon during the
Goryeo era.
This small inkstone measures 7 x 13.9 x 6.8 cm. Although
small in size, the toad is depicted to perfection. It is crouching
on all four legs and gazing upward. The pupils in its slightly
protruding eyeballs were crafted by marking black dots on a
white background. The bumps on the skin were wittily created
with black and white dots marked with a brush in a paste-on
paste technique, while its tightly shut mouth was made with
three jagged engraved lines. It appears rather adorable with its
short legs curled up in a crouching posture.
By turning the byeoru over, it is revealed that the inside is
hollow. This is because it was sculpted into a toad shape
using clay and then hollowed out. It was presumably designed
to be portable, as it is both small and lightweight. The
yeondang, the part upon which the ink stick is ground, is not
glazed. On one side, semicircles are engraved layer by layer
to seemingly represent toad spawn. The front part of the
yeondang is slightly sloped to accommodate ink. Although not
academically proven, some presume that a matching lid was
likely to have been used to prevent the ink from drying.
Why was the toad portrayed with celadon? Toads have always been familiar creatures to Koreans as evidenced by
their frequent appearances in folktales and fables. One is
even portrayed in an ancient tomb mural dating back to the
Goguryeo era as one of the symbols of the moon together
with the moon rabbit. Kim Bu-sik (1075-1151), the author of
Samguksagi (Historical Records of the Three Kingdoms) and
a philosopher during the Goryeo era, described a toad in a
compilation of his works, “It is ugly with its bumpy skin and
slow crawling on all fours. Insects of the world, do not think
small of it as it can jump into the moon.” This description
shows that the toad was revered as a symbol of the moon
and a significant creature.
Goryeo people freely reflected their beliefs, ideas, lifestyles,
and artistic tastes in their pottery and developed a splendid
craftwork culture. This celadon toad-shaped byeoru is
presumed to have been crafted with painstaking effort,
as it comes from Gangjin, the ancient hub of top-quality celadon production for royal family members and aristocrats.
Respected writer Choe Ja (1188-1260) of the Goryeo
era stated in his book Bohanjip (Expanded Edition of the
Collection of Poems and Paintings), “The toad-shaped byeoru
looks so cold that it may freeze the letters, and the lion
shaped hwaro (brazier) looks so warm that it makes me want
to remain in my seat forever.” It is as if he wrote this poem
with this exact celadon byeoru placed in front of him. As
toads spawn underwater and prefer a wet environment, they
appear to be an ideal motif for byeoru design.
01 Byeoru from the front
02~03 Byeoru from the side and back
04 Hollow inside of byeoru
05 Toad spawn depicted on byeoru