Roof Tile / Artist Unknown, Korea
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 2004/1.199
- Title
- Roof Tile
- Artist
- Artist Unknown, Korea
- Artist Nationality
- Korean
- Medium and Support
- earthenware
- Object Creation Date
- 7th century - 8th century
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- Korean Peninsula (peninsula)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Korean Peninsula (peninsula)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Bruce and Inta Hasenkamp and Museum purchase made possible by Elder and Mrs. Sang-Yong Nam
- Dimensions
- 14.5 cm x 2.5 cm (5 11/16 in. x 1 in.)
- Primary Object Classification
- Ceramic
- Primary Object Type
- roof tile
- Physical Description
- This lotus medallion designed on this round tile-end consists of thirteen petals. The outer rim is decorated with eighteen round dents. The inner ring of the seedpod contains a big central seed surrounded by seven peripheral seeds. The outer rim is embellished with a bead pattern.
- Subject Matter
- Roofs and ceilings are important focal points of many traditional East Asian structures. Roofs often extend several feet beyond the walls of the structure, creating large, overhanging eaves. These two tiles would have been part of the decorated outer edge of such an eave.
- Ceramic roof tiles were introduced to Korea from China around the first century BCE By the time these two examples were made, during the Silla kingdom (57 BCE–668 CE) and Unified Silla dynasty (668–935), Korean ceramic tile roofs had reached their peak in intricacy and design. Roofs made from interlocking ceramic tiles kept cold air, wind, and rain from entering a house. Due to their heavy weight, the structure supporting the roof had to be very strong. Expensive to produce, tile roofs were typically found on the homes of aristocrats and government officials, and on Buddhist and Confucian ceremonial buildings.
- Secondary Keywords
- architectural elements
- ceramics
- components
- components and systems
- components by specific context
- descriptors
- enclosing structural elements
- flowers
- object genres
- object genres by material
- objects
- plants
- pottery (object genre)
- roofs and roof components
- structural elements
- structural elements and structural element components
- the natural world
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 3000 x 2412
- File Size
- 963 KB
- Record
- 2004/1.199
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2004-sl-1.199/2004_1.199.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
- In public portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:2004-SL-1.199:2004_1.199.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Roof Tile; Artist Unknown, Korea." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2004-sl-1.199/2004_1.199.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 25, 2024.
