Goryeo Customs Captured in a Pomegranate-Shaped Celadon Ewer

Park Ji-young
Senior Researcher, Artistic Heritage Division

Celadon wares modeled after specific objects are known as sanghyeong cheongja, or figurative celadon. These typically take the form of auspicious animals, plants, or human figures.
Rather than simply aiming for aesthetic beauty, these figurative celadons were designed to embody the symbolic meanings of their motifs. For that reason, examining the significance of each form offers fascinating insights.

During the Goryeo dynasty, a wide variety of figurative celadons were produced, among which the pomegranate-shaped ewer stands out as a particularly unique example. Pomegranates are not widely cultivated in Korea even today and are primarily imported from Central Asia. It is said that pomegranates were introduced to China during the Tang dynasty from Anshi, a region corresponding to present-day Persia, and were considered a rare delicacy in Goryeo as well. Why, then, would artisans model an ewer after a fruit so rarely seen in Korea? And for what purpose was it used?
This celadon ewer resembles four plump pomegranates stacked atop a dish. The round, split-open fruit is decorated with white clay dots to represent seeds, with leaves attached to enhance the naturalistic effect.
The handle and spout were crafted in the form of stylized pomegranate branches—an extraordinary design not found in other periods or countries.
With its abundant seeds enclosed in a round, full fruit, the pomegranate has long symbolized fertility and prosperity. In Buddhism, it also signifies the unbroken continuity and flourishing of the Dharma. Moreover, the pomegranate was closely tied to Taoist customs practiced during the Goryeo period. Though Goryeo was a Buddhist state, King Yejong (r. 1105–1122) even attempted to make Taoism the state religion, illustrating the significant influence of Taoism during the period.
Taoist belief held that the human body contained “three corpse spirits” (samsichung), parasitic entities that would leave the body on the night of Gyeongsinil (a specific day in the sexagenary cycle) while the person slept, to report their sins to the celestial emperor (Sangje). It was believed that the emperor would then adjust the person’s lifespan based on these reports, prompting the tradition of sugyeongsin—staying awake through the night of Gyeongsinil.
The Goryeosa (History of Goryeo) records that even King Chungnyeol (r. 1274–1308), while still crown prince, participated in sugyeongsin ceremonies in the palace. These nighttime feasts, where people drank and celebrated all night, were considered not just a custom but a state ritual and prevailing social trend.

According to the Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Taoist texts referred to the pomegranate as “Three Corpse Wine” (samsiju), because the corpse spirits would become intoxicated when they consumed it. Sweet pomegranates were especially believed to suppress the spirits, preventing them from leaving the body. Thus, a pomegranateshaped ewer would have been an ideal vessel for holding liquor at sugyeongsin feasts meant to protect against spiritual harm. The ewer holds over 0.8 liters—more than two bottles of today’s soju. The topmost pomegranate is slightly open, designed to make pouring liquids easier. This celadon ewer, created at the intersection of Taoist belief and drinking culture, is a prime example of Goryeo material culture that blends meaning with function.

Though the custom of sugyeongsin has disappeared and is nearly forgotten, the pomegranate-shaped celadon ewer continues to carry the cultural and ritual legacy of Goryeo to us today.