Skål, Bowl, Pedestal bowl, Tanggi

This small round bowl has an integral high and flaring foot. Bowl and pedestal are undecorated and covered with a smooth, clear glaze with a greenish-blue tinge. The footrim is almost completely covered with brownish kiln grit. This object has the characteristics of white porcelain of the late Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). It might have been produced in the official kilns at Bunwon-ri, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.

This kind of vessel was used for ancestral offerings, usually holding soup (Korean: tanggi, meaning "soup ware"). The elevation of the bowl on a pedestal symbolises respect for and elevated status of the ancestors. The plain, undecorated white ceramics were associated with death and mourning as well as the Confucian ideals of frugality and purity.

The origin of ancestral rituals in Korea that are still performed in the same manner today can be traced back to the Joseon Dynasty when the society and its culture were structured according to Neo-Confucian ideology. The foremost concept of Neo-Confucian is that a successful governance of a nation is based on good governance of a family in which ‘filial piety (Korean: 효, Hyo)' is considered to be the principal virtue. People expressed their respect for the living older generation of one’s family but also for their ancestors, especially by means of offering regular rituals. The Joseon Dynasty published Gukjooryeui, Book on Five Major State Rites (國朝五禮儀) (1474), and set the standards for holding ancestral rituals mainly for the four previous generations on the anniversary of the death at one’s shrine as well as in March, October at the ancestors’ graves, the first day of the year, the 105th day after the winter solstice, the fifth day of the fifth month of the year and 15th of August according to the Korean lunar calendar. Descendants who attend a ritual prepare themselves by purifying themselves physically and mentally the day before and arrange food and rice wine after midnight. Different types of foods are positioned in a specific way: Fishes, pickled (wet) fish, jujubes, red fruits, raw vegetables, rice cake, and soup on the east side and meats, dried meat, chestnut, white fruits, cooked vegetables, noodle and rice on the west side, especially heads of fishes on the east and tales on the west side. Attendees receive the ancestors’ spirits by burning incense and by pouring rice wine into a bowl containing sand and then offer the wine for the spirits three times with a prayer. After everyone leaves the room for a moment for the spirits to enjoy the offerings the attendees would finish the rite by burning the prayer paper and by sharing the offerings together.