South Korea has a long history with pottery, one that stretches back to earthenware made in the Neolithic age (5000 BC). This ancient red and black earthenware was called “onggi” (옹기), and was often made of clay and fine sand. Inspired by the ideas and techniques of the Chinese, Korean potters eventually began to produce their own highly sought-after works. During the Three Kingdoms period (300-668AD), when the country was divided into the kingdoms Goguryo, Silla, Paekche and Gaya, a grayish black stoneware was made. Around the same time, low-fired green-glazed ware also began to appear, which would eventually be called buncheong. The ceramic techniques used to make this kind of pottery developed dramatically through the succeeding Unified Silla period (668-935AD).
During the tenth century of the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392AD), celadon (greenware) and white porcelain were used for the first time in Korea. Although originally inspired by the Chinese Yue ware, Korean celadon had a unique bluish glaze called the “Bisaek” (비색) hue. The engraved designs were filled with different types of slip that turned white or black after firing. There were many innovative designs, ranging from incense burners to the simple maebyeong (매병) vases, which were used to hold wine and branches of plum blossoms. Korean pottery decoration typically employs plants, flowers, and wildlife, and reflects the country's religious heritage with Buddhist motifs. At the beginning of Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), the green-glazed pottery known as buncheong started to develop. Buncheong gets its characterized color by shaping the clay and then covering it in white slip. Some buncheong wares were imported to Japan and called “Korai-jawan”, and the designs are now treasured by Japanese collectors. But unlike the delicacy and elaborateness of Goryeo celadon, the decoration of buncheong is more robust and audacious. A type of buncheong called Gyeryongsan ware, named after its production site in Banpo-myon, Gongju-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, was known for its iron-painted design. Patterns on these wares are geometric and etched into the clay before firing.
Mass production of white porcelain began on a full scale around the early fifteenth century. It quickly became the leading ceramic ware of the dynasty for its pure and simple decoration. This was considered suitable for the Confucianism philosophy that had become the ideology of the country. White porcelain, regarded as the king’s vessel, was produced at imperial kilns. By the latter half of the sixteenth century, white porcelain was even being produced in provincial areas. By the mid–fifteenth century, porcelain started to become decorated by cobalt blue underglaze, and was distinctive of the Joseon dynasty. In the seventeenth century, it became more difficult to import cobalt blue pigment from China, which resulted in motifs drawn in iron-brown pigment to rise in popularity. Prominent symbols of longevity and fertility were present, as well as motifs containing elements of folk painting that “represent the hope of receiving practical benefit in this world”.
Photos:
1. Ancient Korean Onggi Vase
2. Maebyeong Vessel
3. Buncheong
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