Joseon octagonal water dropper

Overview

This blue-and-white porcelain water dropper supplied small quantities of water while an ink stick was ground on an inkstone. The octagonal vessel combines floral painting with a small cicada-shaped spout, bringing decoration into a working calligraphy utensil.

Cleveland interprets the cicada as an aspiration toward scholarly achievement, rather than identifying a particular scholar. The maker remains unnamed. Its recorded provenance begins with My Auction in Seoul before Cleveland acquired it in 2024.

History & identity

Unidentified maker

Sources & representation

Institutional object account.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Cleveland Museum of Art online catalogue: Octagonal Water Dropper Decorated with Flower Design (2024.37)

   Cleveland Museum of Art

   Undated online publication; manufacture date and record timestamps are separate.

Language & cultural connections

Source-supported language and cultural connections have not yet been compiled for this profile.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Complete primary institutional API object recordOctagonal Water Dropper Decorated with Flower Design — Cleveland Museum of Art 2024.37Research access: 2026-10-21

Image credits

AI-generated object interpretation.