The fine beauty of line seen in Goryeo porcelain cannot be found in the works of the Song kilns. This fine Goryeo line is an integral part of the piece itself, and any alteration, no matter how small, would rob the piece of its true Korean-ness.
Korean art is incomparable, unique and original. It cannot be unerringly copied or emulated, no matter how skilled the craftsman. It is a beauty made possible only after being filtered through the Korean heart and soul. ~Yanagi Soetsu, Japanese philosopher and art historian
The story of ceramics on the Korean peninsula starts with earthenware produced from 8000BC.
But it was in the 12th century, during the Goryeo Dynasty, that a distinctive Korean aesthetic developed using techniques learned from China.
From that time, Korean ceramics became famed throughout Asia and beyond for their high quality and originality.
Korean Celadon Bowl, 12th Century.
National Museum of Korea
Korean Celadon
청자 / 靑磁 / Cheong-ja / 'Blue-green ceramics'
Originally from China, Celadon began production in Korea in the 10th century, and after two centuries of refinement was proclaimed the best in the world by the Chinese themselves. Celadon produced during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) is considered some of the finest ceramics produced anywhere in the world.
By the 12th century, the distinctive pale jade-hued glaze of Korean Celadon was so prized by China's Song Dynasty that they called it "first under heaven".
Korean Celadon was the earliest ceramic in the world to be fired at high temperatures, above 1000 degrees Celsius. In the 16th century, Korean ceramic artists introduced high-firing ceramic techniques to Japan.
The 12th century Korean Celadon bowl above can be admired as a great work of minimalist art today even though it's over eight hundred years old.
See Seoul Lane's selection of contemporary works in Korean Celadon here
Korean White Porcelain Moon Jar, 18th Century, National Treasure No.1437.
National Museum of Korea
Korean White Porcelain
백자 / 白磁 / Baek-ja / 'White ceramics'
Korean White Porcelain during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) was of such high quality, it was used by Korean royalty and frequently requested as a tribute from the peninsula by China's Ming Dynasty.
The simple elegance of the art form symbolised the Confucian values of purity and modesty. Made from refined white clay and glazed with feldspar, baekja can have a slight blue tint to the clear glaze depending on the exact conditions of the clay, glaze and firing temperature, which is generally over 1300 degrees Celsius.
Korean White Porcelain is considered a pinnacle of ceramic art, and it's perfectly embodied in the iconic art form, the Moon Jar. The White Porcelain Moon Jar above is a National Treasure of Korea.
The Moon Jar is uniquely Korean, first appearing in the 17th century, during Joseon Dynasty. Read more about Moon Jars here.
See Seoul Lane's selection of contemporary works in Korean White Porcelain here
Korean Buncheong Ware Bowl with Brushed White Slip, 16th Century.
National Museum of Korea
Buncheong Ware
분청 / 紛靑 / Buncheong / 'Powder-decorated blue-green ceramics'
The unmistakable character of Buncheong Ware comes from its distinctive white 'slip', a fine layer of clay that veils the darker clay below.
The slip is brushed onto the vessel, a technique called Guiyal (귀얄) shown on the Joseon-era bowl above, or the vessel may be dipped into the slip, a technique called Deombeong (덤벙). The resulting drips or brush marks create the intrinsic charm of this art form.
First appearing in the 15th century in Korea, Buncheong Ware became highly valued in Japan, where it was called Mishima ware. In the 16th century, Korean potters were forcibly taken by the Japanese to western Japan, where they founded ceramic traditions such as Hagi ware and Karatsu ware. Read more about this history here
See Seoul Lane's selection of contemporary works in Buncheong Ware here
Korean Black-glazed Vase, 12th Century.
Tokyo National Museum. Source: ColBase https://colbase.nich.go.jp/
Korean Black Ware
흑자 / 黑磁 / Heuk-ja / 'Black ceramics'
The fourth ceramic technique in our story is lesser known but of no lesser distinction: enigmatic Korean Black Ware. This art form is defined by an iron-rich glaze that varies in finish from rusty matte black to lustrous anthracite.
Black pottery dating back to the Iron Age has been found on the Korean peninsula, and in the 3rd to 5th centuries in South-western Korea, Mayeon Black Ware was the choice of the elite class in the ancient Baekje Kingdom.
Later, Black Ware became popular due to the influence of black pottery from Song Dynasty China (960-1279), leading to the perfection of a smooth black glaze with a rich gloss during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897).
Cover Image: 15th century Korean Buncheong Bowl, Boseong Deombeong technique. Image: Han Collection UK