1. Korean Ceramic History
Grade 10 Ceramics
Ms. Lim

3. Koryô dynasty (918–1392) Celadon on stoneware

4. Wine Ewer, Koryô dynasty
Koryô dynasty (918–1392), early 12th century. Stoneware with incised and carved design of geese, waterbirds, and reeds under celadon glaze; H. 10ß in. (26.6 cm). Fletcher Fund, 1927 ( )
By the beginning of the twelfth century, Korean potters had developed the refined forms, naturalistic designs, highly transparent glazes, and distinctive grayish blue-green color that won high praise from visiting Chinese, one of whom pronounced Korean celadons as “first under Heaven.”5 The color of Koryô celadon ware is derived from the presence of small amounts of iron oxide in the glaze, which was fired in a reducing atmosphere.
Carved decoration was executed using one of two methods. In the first method, a needle was employed to incise the design in the leather-hard clay, after which a sharp tool was pressed against the lines at an angle to emphasize the design. In the second method, the clay around the edges of the design was carved away, causing the design to stand out in relief. The popular motif of waterfowl among reeds combines Korean aesthetic sensibilities and a strong interest in naturalistic imagery. Scenes of this type also appear in Chinese paintings of the Southern Song dynasty (1127– 1279), with which the Koryô court maintained cultural and diplomatic ties. Notice: The tonal differences in the celadon glaze; the liveliness and naturalism of the plants and birds

5. Oil bottle, Koryô dynasty
Koryô dynasty (918–1392), late 12th century. Stoneware with reverse inlaid design of peonies under celadon glaze.
Inlay technique: incide design into leather hard clay and fill in the depressions with a white or black substance. Bisque fire then coat with Celadon and fire at a high temperature.
The time-consuming technique of inlay in celadon ware (sanggam) involves incising or carving the design into the unbaked, leatherhard clay with a needle or wooden tool and filling in the resulting depressions with a white or black substance. 8 The piece is given a biscuit, or first, firing, then coated with a celadon glaze and fired again at a higher temperature. Although inlaid decoration was used in Chinese ceramics during the Tang (618–907) and Northern Song (960–1127) dynasties, it was not widespread and its application to celadon ware was never fully exploited. Among makers of Koryô celadon, however, it became a favored decorative technique, establishing a distinct and important category of Korean ceramics. Inlaid celadon vessels such as this example epitomize the refined sensibilities of the Koryô aristocracy. While ordinary people used simple, undecorated stoneware, royalty and the aristocracy created a demand for large quantities of celadon-glazed objects. The finest vessels were made in official kilns, which worked to government specifications and were supervised by court officials. The fondness for detail and exquisite materials is also evidenced in the inlaid lacquerware and Buddhist paintings of the Koryô period (see images 9 and 15–18). Notice: The way in which the chrysanthemums have been depicted; the bottle’s shape; how the scale of the flowers emphasizes the volume of the bottle

6. Melon-Shaped Wine Ewer, Koryô dynasty
Stoneware with carved and incised design of bamboo under celadon glaze.

7. Maebyông Vessel, Koryô dynasty
late 13th– early 14th century. Stoneware with inlaid design of cranes and clouds under celadon glaze;
A maebyông is a vessel with a small mouth, short neck, round shoulder, and constricted waist. The form is derived from the Chinese meiping, or “prunus vase.” The Koryô maebyông is distinguished from its Chinese counterpart by a saucer-shaped mouth and a body that forms a pronounced S-shaped curve, resulting in a slightly flared base. A few of these vessels in China and Korea have retained a cup-shaped cover over the mouth, suggesting that they were used to store wine.

8. Chosôn dynasty (1392–1910) Porcelain

9. Porcelain may be defined broadly as high-fired, vitrified, and translucent white ceramic. Often the raw materials include kaolin (a type of white clay) and petunste (also called Chinastone). In Korean, porcelain is known as baekja, or white ware.
If green is the operative word in Korean ceramics during the Goryeo Dynasty the white becomes the preferred colour under the Joseon.
The elite’s penchant for plain white ware, at least during the early Joseon period, reflects in part the minimalist and purist aesthetics associated with the new ruling ideology of Neo-Confucianism. However, as early as the 15th century, white ware painted with cobalt blue was highly prized. From the 17th century onward, white ware was decorated with iron brown, especially when the cost of cobalt was exorbitant.

10. Flask-Shaped Bottle, Chosôn dynasty
15th century. Stoneware with sgraffito design of flowers under punch’ông glaze.
Still using celadon glazes
In the early ye a rs of the Chosôn dy n a s t y, Korean potters, working with new energy and confidence, attempted to revitalize what remained of the Koryô dynasty (918–1392) celadon tradition. T h e result of these effo rts was p u n ch ’ ô n g w a r e. 1 7 The term is a contraction o f punjang hoech’ông sag i—l i t e ra l ly, “ c e ramic ware of a grayish gr e e n c l ay body covered with white slip and a clear greenish glaze” —a n d was first used in the twentieth cent u ry (the original name of this ware remains unknown). P u n ch ’ ô n g w a s manufactured only in the fif t e e n t h and sixteenth centuries. Yet during this short time, the industry flo u rished and potters produced objects in a variety of shapes and decorat e d with seve ral methods. Thought of a s utilitarian objects in Korea and used by all classes, p u n ch ’ ô n g wares we r e w i d e ly appreciated for their aesthetic appeal in Muromachi (1392– 1573) Japan, where the gr e at tea master Sen no Rikyú (1522–91) helped to create a taste for their bold rustic fo rms and vigorous designs.1 8

11. Jar, Chosôn dynasty
18th century. Porcelain with underglaze copper-red decoration of a grapevine.
Painting in underglaze copper-red was more difficult to accomplish than its counterpart decorative medium, underglaze cobalt-blue, because copper readily oxidizes and turns to shades of gray or black during firing, or even disappears entirely. Underglaze copper-red decoration on high-fired ware is most likely an invention of Koryô (918–1392) potters, who succeeded in producing this color early in the twelfth century.

12. Jar decorated with flowers and insects
Period: Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Date: mid-18th century
Culture: Korea
Medium: Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue design

13. Storage Jar, Korea, Joseon period ca. mid-18th century

14. Brush holder with lotus decoration
Period: Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Date: mid-19th century
Culture: Korea
Medium: Porcelain with openwork design

15. Large jar with peony decoration
Period: Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Date: second half of the 19th century
Culture: Korea
Medium: Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue and copper-red design

16. Moon jar is a type of traditional Korean white porcelain which was made during the late 17th through 18th century, the late period of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). The name comes from its shape and milky color of the glaze to remind of full moon.
Oftentimes it consists of two hemispherical halves joined together in the middle.[1] The slightly uneven natural shape added to its appeal during the Joseon dynasty.

17. Icheon International Ceramics Centre

18. Or Jingdezhen, China

19. Or the International Ceramics Studio, Hungary

20. Korean Master Ceramicists
1:25 piercing and 5 layer slip
2:50 stamping and slip inlay
4:00 carving
4:45 paddling
5:00 slip painting on top with carving out and then carving with slip added to indentations.