This might look like a teapot and evoke sensory memories of fragrant steam and the comforting heat of a full cup of hot tea, but it’s actually a wine pot—which brings its own kind of comfort and warmth.

During the reign of the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392), celadon ware was the primary type of pottery produced on the Korean peninsula. Goryeo potters learned the process for producing the pale green glazes from potters in China, where brick-walled kilns embedded in hillsides made it possible to fire ceramics at high temperatures, resulting in distinctive gray-green hues. The melon shape of this wine pot shows the delight Korean artists took in creating objects using natural forms.

Image Description: A stoneware wine pot with a light gray-green celadon glaze. The pot has a smooth, curved body with a melon-like shape, narrower at the top and wider in the middle, with incised ridges running from top to bottom that enhance the resemblance to the fruit. The pot features a short, curved spout on one side and a looped handle on the other, similar to a tea- or coffeepot. The lid resembles the top of a melon, with a short, looped stem form as the finial. It has an old repair made with gold lacquer.