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Source Description
This very rare porcelain cup is called a hollyhock cup because its rim resembles a hollyhock blossom. This type of cup was produced only in the state-owned kiln for a limited time from the late 1400s to mid-1500s. Like sunflowers, hollyhocks also open their blooms toward the sun, signifying loyalty to the king. According to Korean royal archives, hollyhock cups were used during state banquets when the king offered wine to court officials. Also, a hollyhock-shaped cup was used in tea ceremonies to welcome visiting Chinese diplomats. In comparison to ceramic works of the late Joseon period that favor natural and rustic sensibilities seen in this gallery, this hollyhock cup illustrates the precision and perfection that were core aesthetic values of early Joseon period art.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
144864
label
Hollyhock-shaped Cup
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
144864
contentType
object
title
Hollyhock-shaped Cup
description
This very rare porcelain cup is called a hollyhock cup because its rim resembles a hollyhock blossom. This type of cup was produced only in the state-owned kiln for a limited time from the late 1400s to mid-1500s. Like sunflowers, hollyhocks also open their blooms toward the sun, signifying loyalty to the king. According to Korean royal archives, hollyhock cups were used during state banquets when the king offered wine to court officials. Also, a hollyhock-shaped cup was used in tea ceremonies to welcome visiting Chinese diplomats. In comparison to ceramic works of the late Joseon period that favor natural and rustic sensibilities seen in this gallery, this hollyhock cup illustrates the precision and perfection that were core aesthetic values of early Joseon period art.
date
1400s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79922401
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 3.6 cm (1 7/16 in.)
cul
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
accession
1969.85
Source extras
tec
porcelain
tombstone
Hollyhock-shaped Cup (백자 규화배 [白磁葵花盞]), 1400s. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Porcelain; overall: 3.6 cm (1 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Anonymous Gift, 1969.85
titleInOriginalLanguage
백자 규화배 [白磁葵花盞]
collection
Korean Art
didYouKnow
This cup shaped like a hollyhock flower was used in tea ceremonies to welcome visiting Chinese diplomats during the Joseon period (1392–1910).
citations
citation
Kang, Kyeong-sook. <em>History of Korean Ceramics</em> [韓國陶磁史]. Seoul: Yekyong, 2012.
citation
<em>Miguk, Han'guk misul ŭl mannada </em>[미국, 한국 미술 을 만나다= Korean art from the United States]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2012.
page_number
Reproduced: cat. no. 72, p. 168
citation
Yoon, Hyo-jeong. "The Form and Characteristics of White Porcelain Gyuhwabae (葵花盃) in the Early Joseon Dynasty [조선전기 백자 규화배 葵花盃의 조형과 성격]." <em>Yeoksa wa damron</em> (2013): 413–454.
citation
<em>Treasures from Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty, 1392-1910</em>. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2014.
citation
Song, In-hee. "Tea Wears for Chinese Diplomats Record in the Protocols for Guest Rituals of 1609 [1609년 迎接都監米麵色儀軌의 중국사신 접대 器皿類]." <em>Seokdang nonchong</em> (2016): 131–172.
citation
Ch'a, Mi-rae, Kwi-suk An, Cleveland Museum of Art, and 국외소재문화재재단. <em>The Korean Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Edited by An Min-hŭi. First edition, English ed. Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Series, 16. Seoul, Republic of Korea: Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, 2021.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 84
creditline
Anonymous Gift
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:26:40.968000
sourceId
144864
dept
Korean Art
coll
Korean Art
med
porcelain
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
3f3b68c623833de8