L inked pearl patterned bowls, popular in the Northern, Sui, and Tang Dynasties of China, had been produced as a result of the influence of the Western regions. The Bangyurigi black-glazed bowls excavated in the vicinity of the site of the Han-Wei castle of Luoyang in 1989 gained much attention due to the uniqueness of the firing atmosphere and the decorative patterns. Outside of China, linked pearl patterned bowls have been excavated at Nagasaki Ikishima Soroku Ancient Tomb, Asuka Fujiwara Palace, and the site of Ishigami in Japan. Other collected or inherited examples have also been made open to the public in Japan. The excavated examples are often mentioned when discussing exchange between China and Japan in the 6th to 7th century. Recently in South Korea, a similar excavated example of a linked pearl patterned bowl has gained much attention. Stone Chamber Tomb M490 of Seokdong, Changwon, dating to the Three Kingdoms Period, yielded an example, which was the subject of much interest as it was the first completely intact example to have been discovered since the previous discovery of green-glazed pottery from Anapji Pond in Gyeongju.
In the case of the examples from the site of the Han-Wei castle of Luoyang, linked pearls of different sizes were rendered throughout the entire outer surface, believed to be imitating the glass products of Sassanian Persia. The origins of the linked pearl pattern in China dates to a relatively early period. As the traffic route of the Silk Road was secured following the building up of friendly relations with the Western regions, the linked pearl pattern was likely introduced into China during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties. The linked pearl pattern, which had generally been used for coinage in Persia at that time, spread to Dunhuang, Turpan, and China through Central Asia. The linked pearl pattern subsequently became varied and was widely used for articles such as Buddhist murals, fabrics, golden/silver products, and pottery. This article aims to review the origin and spread of linked pearl patterned bowls in East Asia by examining Chinese pottery that used the linked pearl pattern for decoration. Through this, this article aims to discuss the country of origin and period of use of the green-glazed linked pearl patterned bowl excavated from Seokdong Ancient Tomb in Changwon, and also to newly examine the nature and period of use of the green-glazed pottery excavated from Anapji in Gyeongju.