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| Ceramics of Korea | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ceramics of Korea |
| Caption | Goryeo celadon plate with inlay |
| Country | Korea |
| Period | Neolithic–Joseon dynasty |
| Major types | Celadon ware, Buncheong ware, White porcelain, Dancheong |
| Notable artists | Yi Sam-pyeong, Kang Han-ik, Kim Whan-ki |
Ceramics of Korea describe a continuous material culture spanning from Jeulmun pottery period and Mumun pottery period through Three Kingdoms of Korea and Goryeo to the Joseon dynasty, reflecting regional production, technological innovation, court patronage, and international exchange. Korean ceramic traditions include Neolithic comb-pattern pottery, Goryeo celadon, Buncheong, and Joseon white porcelain, each connected to archaeological sites, royal workshops, private kilns, and itinerant potters documented in historical records such as the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and diplomatic correspondences with Ming dynasty and Yuan dynasty courts.
Early Korean ceramics are evidenced in the Jeulmun pottery period and Mumun pottery period contexts at sites like Amsa-dong and Songguk-ri, moving into distinct regional outputs during the Three Kingdoms of Korea—Gaya confederacy, Silla, and Baekje. The Unified Silla period and Balhae saw kiln specialization before the flowering of Goryeo celadon under royal patronage influenced by contacts with the Liao dynasty and Khitan Liao. The decline of Goryeo and rise of the Joseon dynasty shifted aesthetics toward Confucian austerity and white wares paralleled in the Imjin War disruptions and later restoration efforts documented in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. Modern revivals during the Korean Empire and under Japanese colonial rule in Korea engaged potters like Yi Sam-pyeong and institutions such as the Korean Artists Proclamation and postwar museums including the National Museum of Korea.
Korean potters exploited local clays from regions like Buan County, Iksan, and Gyeongju and developed slip, ash-glaze, and inlay (sanggam) techniques. High-temperature reduction firing in large climbing kilns, or noborigama, introduced under interactions with Song dynasty ceramics enabled translucent celadon glazes comparable to contemporaneous Longquan porcelain. Techniques such as sanggam inlaying, copper-red reduction, and buncheong stamping used tools similar to those recorded in Goryeo celadon workshop inventories and excavations at kiln sites including Gunwi and Buan. Historical manuals and archaeological finds mention kiln managers, potters, and bureaucratic offices like the Jiphyeonjeon and regional magistrates who oversaw production quotas.
Goryeo celadon epitomizes sanggam inlay, jade-green glazes, and forms like moon flasks comparable to examples in collections of the British Museum, National Palace Museum (Taipei), and Victoria and Albert Museum. Buncheong ware, associated with late Goryeo and early Joseon, employs white slip, impressed designs, and iron brushwork seen in assemblages excavated at Okcheon and displayed at the Seoul Museum of History. Joseon white porcelain (baekja) reflects Confucian tastes patronized by court institutions such as the Office of Ceremonial and used in rites at Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. Folk ceramics include storage jars (onggi) ubiquitous in rural contexts documented in ethnographic surveys by institutions like the Korea Cultural Heritage Administration.
Kiln complexes at Buan, Gunwi kilns, Sindeok-ri, and Cheongju served regional demand and export networks. The royal kilns in Yongin and the state-controlled facilities around Seoul produced wares for the Joseon court while private kiln clusters in Icheon, Yeoju, and Boseong continued local traditions. Excavations at sites such as Geumseongri and reports by the Korean National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage document kiln architecture, wasters, and workshop organization comparable to guild structures described in records referencing the Board of Rites and local magistrates.
Ceramics functioned across elite, ritual, and quotidian spheres: court banquets in Changdeokgung used celadon and white porcelains; Buddhist temples like Haeinsa and Beopjusa commissioned ritual wares; and folk households used onggi for fermentation practices linked to culinary traditions in Jeolla Province and Gyeongsang Province. Patronage by monarchs of Goryeo and Joseon shaped aesthetics, while literati tastes reflected networks including the Sarim faction and officials recorded in the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty. Pottery was implicated in diplomatic tribute missions to the Ming dynasty and trade with the Ryukyu Kingdom, and changes in style often mirrored shifts after events such as the Imjin War.
Korean wares circulated widely: Goryeo celadon reached markets in Japan, the Southeast Asian, and Chinese elite circles; Joseon white porcelain featured in tributary exchanges with the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. Influences flowed bidirectionally with Longquan kilns, Arita kilns, and Balhae artisans, while European collections expanded following interactions with traders from the Dutch East India Company and collectors like Sir Percival David. Scholarly reception in the modern era involves institutions such as the Tokyo National Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and academic programs at Seoul National University.
Conservation efforts by the Cultural Heritage Administration (South Korea) and international collaborations address salt efflorescence, glaze corrosion, and kiln reconstruction. Contemporary studio potters trained at Hongik University and international residencies in Icheon and Gwangju reinterpret traditional forms; artists like Kang Han-ik and exhibitions at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art connect heritage practices to global ceramic dialogues with institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and Rijksmuseum.
Category:Korean art Category:Ceramic art