Lunar Phases: Korean Moon Jars

Exhibition Guide

Despite their shared form and color, no two moon jars are alike— variations in clay, glaze, and firing conditions cause subtle changes in shape and hue, giving each a distinct personality.

Made for elite consumers in the 1600s and 1700s, the moon jar is an abiding symbol of Korean identity today. Celebrated painter KIM Whanki (1913–1974) and his contemporaries called these globular jars without any decorations “moon jars” (달항아리, dal-hang’ari in Korean), imbuing them with a poetic nature that would inspire generations of artists. Presenting six traditional moon jars alongside sixteen artworks of various media from the 1900s and 2000s, Lunar Phases: Korean Moon Jars invites you to appreciate the continuity of moon jars over the centuries and how they continue to inspire artists today.

Organized by the Denver Art Museum, this is the second exhibition of the National Museum of Korea’s Overseas Korean Galleries Support Program at the museum.

A cream-colored moon jar that is 44.5 centimeters high and 43 centimeters wide at its widest point. The diameter of the mouth of the jar is 21.5 centimeters, and the diameter of the foot is 16.7 centimeters. Light brown stains cover the surface, especially at the bottom of the jar.

Moon Jar 달항아리
1700s, Joseon dynasty (1392–1897)
Porcelain with clear glaze
Private collection
Photograph by Kim Hyun-soo (K2 Studio) and © Private collection.
National Treasure of Korea (2007-1)

Can you guess the cause of this moon jar’s mottled surface? Conservators have confirmed it is oil that seeped through from inside the jar. It is unclear if this remarkable stain dates to the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) or is from later use.

While the exact original function of moon jars is not certain, they were likely used as storage containers for grains and liquids. Some scholars believe they were for special occasions, like displaying flowers in banquets.

A white moon jar that is 44.5 centimeters high and 43.5 centimeters wide at its widest point where the two halves of the jar were joined together. Tiny brown stains speckle the surface, especially at the bottom of the jar.

Moon Jar 달항아리
1700s, Joseon dynasty (1392–1897)
Porcelain with clear glaze
Amorepacific Museum of Art
© Amorepacific Museum of Art, photograph by Kim kwang seop
Treasure of Korea (2005-4)

Do you notice the seam along the center of this jar? Due to their size and the weight of the clay, the top and bottom of moon jars are made separately and then joined, leaving a seam in the middle. This often results in slightly irregular, organic shapes that add to each jar’s particular characteristics.

A white moon jar that is 47 centimeters high and 44 centimeters wide at its widest diameter. The spherical form of the jar is imperfectly shaped, giving it a unique look. Tiny specks of ash intermittently cover the surface.

Moon Jar 달항아리
1700s, Joseon dynasty (1392–1897)
Porcelain with clear glaze
Amorepacific Museum of Art
© Amorepacific Museum of Art

Their subtle elegance and imperfections, such as ashes on the surfaces, are part of what attracted modern artists to moon jars. KIM Whanki, whose paintings are in the exhibition, was among the many Korean artists of the 1900s who were fascinated with these vessels, and he and his friends were the first to use the term “moon jar.” However, the term was not officially adopted until 2011, when a Korean governmental institution officially changed the name from “large spherical jar” and defined that only globular jars taller than about 15 ¾ inches (40 cm) without any decorations would be classified as moon jars.

A sandy-grey colored moon jar that is 44 centimeters high and 45 centimeters wide at its widest diameter. The spherical shape of the jar is imperfect with one side flatter than the other, giving it a unique appearance.

Moon Jar 달항아리
1700s, Joseon dynasty (1392–1897)
Porcelain with clear glaze
National Museum of Korea
Photography by Han, jung youp / Hanstudio. © National Museum of Korea

A white moon jar that is 41.2 centimeters high and 45.7 centimeters wide at its widest diameter. A light brown stain that is approximately 20 centimeters wide and five centimeters high runs along the equator of the jar, while another covers the base.

Moon Jar 달항아리
1700s, Joseon dynasty (1392–1897)
Porcelain with clear glaze
National Museum of Korea: Bequest of Park Byoung-rae, 1975
© National Museum of Korea. Photography by Han, jung youp / Hanstudio

A white-cream colored moon jar that is 45.5 centimeters high and 43.2 centimeters wide at its widest diameter. It has a spot on the shoulder of a very faint brownish discoloration. The jar is imperfectly shaped with one side appearing more symmetrical than the other, which gives it a unique appearance.

Moon Jar 달항아리
1700s, Joseon dynasty (1392–1897)
Porcelain with clear glaze
National Museum of Korea: Bequest of Lee Kun-hee, 2021
© National Museum of Korea. Photography by Han, jung youp / Hanstudio

Moon Jars Reinterpreted

Over the past century, the moon jar has captured the imaginations of artists, both in Korea and in the diaspora, who draw inspiration from the subtle beauty and distinctive Korean-ness of this form. Some artists, like KIM Yikyung, Youngsook PARK, and LEE Dong Sik, have upheld traditional methods and materials in their creation of moon jars. Other artists have reinterpreted the form in their own distinct styles. LEE Inchin, Steven Young LEE, and Minjae KIM push the boundaries of what can even be called a moon jar, experimenting with color, material, and form. Meanwhile, artists like YoungJune P. LEW, KOO Bohnchang, and Ken Gun MIN reflect on their own experiences with moon jars in the museum setting.

A white moon jar with a slight grey undertone made of porcelain, and a clear glaze all over. The jar is approximately 40 tall by 40 centimeters wide and weighs approximately 30 kilograms. The narrow base extends upward and outward into a spherical form. The top is open with a narrow lip.

Yikyung KIM 김익영
Born 1935 in Korea, active in South Korea
Moon Jar 달항아리
2024
Porcelain with clear glaze
Collection of the artist
© and courtesy Yikyung Kim

A glossy, white moon jar that is 63.5 centimeters high and 71.5 centimeters in diameter at its widest point. The mouth of the jar has a diameter of 32.8 centimeters, and the foot 26.7 centimeters.

Youngsook PARK박영숙
Born 1947 in South Korea, active in South Korea
Moon Jar 달항아리
2010
Porcelain with clear glaze
Collection of the artist
© and courtesy Youngsook PARK

A self-taught artist, Youngsook PARK is among the first generation of Korean women ceramicists to work in an art form traditionally practiced by only men. While maintaining many established elements and techniques of moon jars, Park’s jars expand this already large form, reflecting our growing living spaces today.

A white moon jar that is 49 centimeters high and 47 centimeters in diameter at its widest point. The mouth of the jar has a diameter of 21.5 centimeters, and the foot 18.5 centimeters. Tiny brown and grey speckles cover the surface.

LEE Dong Sik 이동식
Born 1969 in South Korea, active in South Korea
Dal-Hang’ari (Moon Jar) 달항아리
2024
Porcelain with clear glaze
Collection of the artist
© and courtesy LEE Dong Sik

While modern innovations like the electric kiln allow for close control of the ceramic process, LEE Dong Sik embraces the unpredictability of traditional ways of making. For example, he built his own kiln and makes the glazes himself. The speckled surface of this jar is the result of ash and debris settling in the so-called “dragon” kiln Lee favors.

A moon jar in varying shades of brown that is 48 centimeters high and 48 centimeters in diameter at its widest point. The surface of the jar is shaped by a repeating hexagonal pattern. The mouth of the jar has a diameter of 17 centimeters, and the foot 20 centimeters.

LEE Inchin 이인진
Born 1957 in South Korea, active in South Korea and the United States
Big Jar
2021
Stoneware with natural ash glaze
Collection of the artist
© Inchin LEE. Photography © Jang Jun-Ho (Image Joom)

LEE Inchin experiments with levels of heat and oxygen in the kiln to create organic jars with various textures and tones. While related to the form of the moon jar, Lee’s work also takes inspiration from a more ancient form of Korean pottery—the ash-glazed onggi.

A dark moon jar covered with rust-brown glaze drippings. It is 36.1 centimeters high, 39.3 centimeters wide, and 41.9 centimeters deep. The jar appears ruptured on one side with a sizeable, jagged hole that tilts downward.

Steven Young LEE
Born 1974 in the United States, active in the United States
Brown Moon Jar
2024
Porcelain with aventurine glaze
Denver Art Museum: Funds from the Sam F. and Freda R. Davis Charitable Trust, 2024.874
© Steven Young LEE. Photography by Christina Jackson, © Denver Art Museum

Steven Young LEE’s ruptured and colorful moon jar reflects his relationship with Korean identity as a member of the diaspora. His work also pays homage to the many jars that warp and shatter during the firing process, pushing back on what is considered a “successful” work of art.

A wicker-brown colored moon jar that is 68.5 centimeters high by 68.5 wide at its widest diameter. The surface of the jar is textured with thin, horizontal rings, along with other scratch marks. There is a large splotch of cream-colored paint in a quarter of the lower hemisphere. The diameter of the rim is 22.8 centimeters, and the foot is 19.3 centimeters.

Minjae KIM 김민재
Born 1989 in South Korea, active in the United States
Moon Jar 달항아리
2023
Resin, fiberglass, and acrylic paint
Funds from the Sam F. and Freda R. Davis Charitable Trust, 2024.873
© Minjae Kim. Photography by Eric Stephenson, © Denver Art Museum

Oil painting of a spherical cream-colored vase filled with luscious purple lilac flowers set against a yellow tinted background. The painting is 45.5 centimeters high and 53 centimeters wide. The artist’s signature is in the bottom right-hand corner along with the year 1970.

TO Sang Bong 도상봉
Korean, active in South Korea, 1902–1977
Lilac 라일락
1970
Oil paint on canvas
Private collection, Seoul
© Estate of TO Sang Bong. Photography by Jeon Byung

Oil painting of a spherical cream-colored vase filled with luscious purple lilac flowers set against a yellow tinted background. The painting is 45.5 centimeters high and 53 centimeters wide. The artist’s signature is in the bottom right-hand corner along with the year 1970.

TO Sang Bong 도상봉
Korean, active in South Korea, 1902–1977
Lilac 라일락
1971
Oil paint on canvas
Private collection, Seoul
© Estate of TO Sang Bong. Photography by Jeon Byung

Oil painting of a cream-colored moon jar atop a rust-colored pedestal set against a background of various shades of blue. There is a turquoise-colored moon in the top left-hand corner, just above the moon jar. The canvas is 163 centimeters high and 97 centimeters wide.

KIM Whanki 김환기
Korean, active in South Korea, France, and the United States, 1913–1974
La Lune (Symphonie en Blanc) [The Moon, Symphony in White] 달 (백색의 교향곡)
1954
Oil paint on canvas
LEEUM Museum of Art
Photography by Kim Hyun-soo (K2 Studio) and © LEEUM Museum of Art. Copyright © Whanki Foundation-Whanki Museum, Korea

“Our tranquil [moon] jar contains movement and speed. Though made of cold porcelain, its flesh is warm. Truly, it is the pinnacle of aesthetic quality. I believe my awakening to beauty began with our jar. The globular jar, the white, round jar that overflows my arms, may still be at the forefront of visual arts.”—KIM Whanki

A primarily black and white painting that is 168.2 centimeters high by 244.1 centimeters wide. A large, vertically oriented rectangle of scribbly, white lines fills the center of the composition. A glimpse of red paint peeks through the center-right of the rectangle. On the left, a white, full moon above a white moon jar against a black background. On the right, a white moon jar above two crescent moons positioned horizontally opposite each other against a black background.

YoungJune P. LEW 박영준
Born 1947 in South Korea, active in the United States
Lucid Life Circle 95-2
1995
Acrylic paint and oil paint on canvas
Collection of the artist
© YoungJune P. LEW. Photography by Christina Jackson, courtesy of Denver Art Museum

A black and white painting in a sketch-like style that is 198.7 centimeters high and 167.6 centimeters wide. A large, white moon jar hovers over the top two thirds of the left-hand side of the painting. The bottom third of the painting features a body of water that reflects the moon jar surrounded by jagged mountains. All set against a shaded black and white sky.

YoungJune P. LEW 박영준
Born 1947 in South Korea, active in the United States
Allegory of a Moon Jar 2022-5
2022
Acrylic paint and charcoal on canvas
Denver Art Museum: Funds from the Sam F. and Freda R. Davis Charitable Trust, 2025.1
© Youngjune P. LEW. Photography by Christina Jackson, courtesy Denver Art Museum

For YoungJune P. LEW, moon jars and white porcelain from the past symbolize her yearning for her youth and homeland. In this work from 1995 featuring jars and moons, she engaged in the meditative process of erasing surfaces to reflect on her Korean identity. In the more recent 2022 painting, she explores moon jars in museum collections, juxtaposing them with different subjects or non-Korean landscapes. As an immigrant, the artist feels a deep connection to these moon jars, seeing them as displaced objects removed from their original context.

A black and white photograph of two moon jars. The jar on the right is in front of the other and covers the right-hand quarter of the moon jar in the back. The jars have slightly different shapes, showcasing the unique character of each one. The photograph is 12.8 centimeters high and 179 centimeters wide.

KOO Bohnchang 구본창
Born 1953 in South Korea, active in South Korea
Vessel (AM 07 BW)
2006
Archival pigment print, Edition 1/7
Amorepacific Museum of Art. © KOO Bohnchang.
Location of original porcelains: Amorepacific Museum of Art, Seoul

A color photo of two white-cream colored moon jars, each only partially in view. On the left, half of a shorter jar with a wider bottom and a slender neck. On the right, half of a larger, more spherical-shaped moon jar. All set against a white-cream colored background giving the photo a monochromatic tone.

KOO Bohnchang 구본창
Born 1953 in South Korea, active in South Korea
AAM 002
2011
Chromogenic print
Collection of the artist. © KOO Bohnchang
Location of original porcelains: Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

In photographs and video works, KOO Bohnchang captures traces and histories of objects in museum collections. He started his vessel series in the 1990s and was the first to photograph moon jars in collections outside Korea. His documentation of Joseon white porcelain encourages new perspectives by illuminating the vessels’ forms beyond what can be seen with the naked eye.

Still from a video featuring a milky-white moon jar set against a pale pink background. The jar has multiple stains that match the background on the surface, and particularly at the bottom.

KOO Bohnchang 구본창
Born 1953 in South Korea, active in South Korea
Vessel
2014
Single-channel video
Duration: 4 min. 11 sec., no sound
Collection of the artist. © KOO Bohnchang
Location of original porcelains: Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; Ewha Womans University Museum, Seoul; The Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Tokyo; Koryo Museum of Art, Kyoto; The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka; Musée Guimet, Paris; British Museum, London.

Photograph of an installation featuring four screen panels. The two center panels reach a height of 185.4 centimeters, and the width of all four is 294.6 centimeters. The two center panels have an oval-shaped top, while the two outside panels are shorter and have a flat top. The painting shows a tiger killing a dog-like creature set against a lush, surreal, and colorful backdrop.

Ken Gun Min
Born 1976 in South Korea, active in the United States
The vastness is bearable only through love
2025
Oil paint on canvas (front) with linen (back), Onyx, Sodalite, Afghanite, crystal, assorted gemstones, vintage beads, Korean pigment, silk embroidery thread, and found fabric
Collection of the artist
© and courtesy Ken Gun Min

For Ken Gun Min, the moon is a symbol of utopia—a serene and idealized world. Min draws inspiration from moon jars made during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). He sees them embodying a quiet, introspective realm in stark contrast to today’s busy, chaotic world. This doublesided screen, part of a larger installation, embodies that duality. As you move around the screen, consider how the artist explores those dichotomies. How does the artist play with differences between time and space?

Lunar Phases: Korean Moon Jars is organized by the Denver Art Museum. This exhibition is generously supported by the National Museum of Korea Overseas Korean Galleries Support Program. Additional support is provided by Gay-Young Cho, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.

Support for the Gallagher Gallery is provided by Your 6 Front Range Toyota Stores.