This is the second largest of the seven moon jars I have acquired directly from Yeon tae Park’s studio. A new and different form appears from each angle: the body swells and ebbs as it turns, bringing the jar alive with vibrant movement.

Thrown in two separate parts - top and bottom - and then joined in the centre, a moon jar’s construction lends itself to a vertical asymmetry that has become a signature of the form. The diameter of the foot is also narrower than the mouth, adding an unstable tension. But this also gives a floating appearance. Add the luminous veils of white slip over the dark clay body and the moon-like atmosphere is complete.

While the moon jar form dates to the early Joseon dynasty, the term was not coined and popularized until the second half of the 20th century. They caught the imaginations of artists and potters outside of Korea, especially in Japan and England, where the famous jar Bernard Leach acquired came to represent a revival of interest for Korean ceramics in the West.

Park Yeon tae’s jars have been widely recognized as some of the finest examples made in the buncheong tradition today. Wood-fired in his climbing kiln in Mungyeong, Park has received numerous awards including the 2019 Grand Prize at the Korea Buncheong Ceramics Competition, 2023 Gold Prize for the Gyeongbuk Traditional Craft, and was the winner of the 2025 National Tea Bowl Competition. He is also designated by the city of Munyeong as a Master Ceramic Artist.

Comes with the signed and stamped wood box, stamped wrapping cloth, and CV.