Thousand Cranes Vase

Somewhere in a museum in Korea, there is a piece of pottery called "Thousand Cranes Vase." No one knows who the potter was, but it has been dated to the 1100s and is a beautiful example of celadon pottery with an inlay pattern or design. It amazes me that something this beautiful was made by hand so long ago. 

From what I understand, the vase is thrown on a wheel, then each circle and crane and other designs are carved out and a piece of clay in a different color is formed to put into the place that has been cut out. Here is a picture of the actual Thousand Cranes Vase.

Pretty neat. This is inlaid with black and white clay. The green color comes from the glaze after it is fired. Search for images of Korean celadon pottery and you can see lots of other examples, but I think this is one of the best.

This vase and the technique used to make it are some of the inspiration for the Newbery Award winner I read in March.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park takes place in 12th Century Korea and tells the story of an orphaned boy named Tree-ear who lives a hard life under a bridge with an older, crippled man named Crane-man. Tree-ear's life  is mostly about survival - finding enough food and clothes, staying warm, but then, through a series of events, Tree-ear becomes an apprentice to one of the master potters in the village named Min.

Eventually, Tree-ear is sent on a long journey to the court of the King to try to win a pottery commission for Min. Of course, along the way he faces many trials and hardships, but eventually,...well, I won't tell how it ends, you'll have to read it for yourself.

I didn't think I would like this one, but it turned out to be not so bad. Check it out.