Beveled bottle, Joseon dynasty, first half of the 18th century. Blue-and-white porcelain with pomegranate design. Height 38.4cm; Maximum Diameter 20.5cm; Weight 2,660g. Gift of SUMITOMO Group, the ATAKA Collection, 00087, photo 六田知弘. © The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka.

The long neck and the amply swollen body of this rather large bottle create an excellent proportion. It has been beveled in an octagonal shape from the neck through the foot. Lobed panels grace three parts of the body, each enclosing a pomegranate, peach and plum tree, all of which are auspicious motifs. Particularly the plum tree in dark cobalt blue inherits the 17th-century-style Joseon painting, making the viewers feel as if looking at a painting mounted on a scroll.