The Moon Jar

A visit to the V&A in 2005 is where I first saw a Korean Moon Jar, pure white porcelain, spot-lit in a darkened room. I was captivated.

That particular Jar was on loan from the British Museum, a piece Bernard Leach brought back from Seoul – one of the few original Moon Jars from the Choson dynasty. Made from plain white porcelain, the Korean Moon Jar (dal hang ari) represented the austere Confucian virtues of purity, honesty and modesty. Leach and his contemporaries in Japan admired it for its lack of self-consciousness and the beauty of its slight imperfections. I too was struck by these qualities, also by its serenity and simplicity. I was so inspired by this pure form that for almost two decades I have made little else – not trying to replicate it exactly, but to capture those ephemeral qualities.

On a trip to Korea in 2018 I visited the studio of Kang Min Soo, a modern maker ofthe traditional Moon Jar. We discussed the technical skills required to make them: the top and bottom are thrown separately, then they are joined in the centre. The halves can sometimes shrink unevenly during firing, leading to subtly asymmetric forms. He was particularly preoccupied with the relationship between foot ring and rim, something I had also noted in my years of practice, it was wonderful to connect as makers over a shared form we both loved.

I rarely refer to my pieces as Moon Jars these days as a true Moon Jar has a specific cultural origin and pure aesthetic. I feel that my pieces have developed into something different. Very few are white porcelain, their forms are often fuller than the originals, and the surfaces are so diverse that they no longer resonate with that title. The relationship between foot ring and rim is still there and the endeavour to create a contemplative piece is important. Its essence very much remains the canvas onto which I work.