Pigment Box

918–1392

Pigment Box, 918–1392. Korea, Goryeo period (918-1392). Inlaid celadon ware; diameter: 9 cm (3 9/16 in.); overall: 3.9 cm (1 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of John L. Severance 1928.165.a Celadons, spoons, seals, and bronze mirrors were the most common burial objects in tombs during the Goryeo period (918-1392). Once used to contain colored powder, rouge, and eyebrow gel for makeup, this small container was one of the standard goods that furnished elites' tombs. Both women and men used the grain powder of rice or millet for whitening their skin, safflower extract for rouge, and plant ash or soot for eyebrow gel. Yet, natural-looking make-up seems to have been the most favorable one in Korean according to the travelogue by Xu Jing (1091-1153), the Chinese diplomat who visited Korea in 1123. This ceramic container was used to store either incense or cosmetics.