How I (Almost) Became a Korean Pottery Fiend---and Why You Should, Too

This is supposed to be an article about Korean pottery. To be honest, my closest association with traditional Korean pottery was posing for pictures next to the infamous kimchi pots at the entranceway to Haebangcheon, known simply as HBC to the widely diverse expat community that lives there.



In recent times, and largely due to the foreign influence of that tiny area beneath the shadow of Seoul Tower, this neighborhood has become known as the HBC Arts Village to the Korean tourism bureau. Although I frequently encountered these familiar stacks of pots, which have become a landmark to expats in Seoul, I was fortunate enough to visit several of Korea’s museums to see the more elaborate representations of this impressive creative process.

Of all of Korea’s wonderfully innovative artistic endeavors, there is none with a richer history than pottery. It really is exceptional, and if you watch the video, you will see that it is not so easy to create. It’s not like two guys sat down at a pottery wheel and just threw some clay together. Look at that shape; the contours; the edges; the balance. Look at the design and the emotion that… well, OK, maybe not in this video. But the tradition of Korean pottery goes back for centuries, and it is a skill that has been handed down in many forms, and these forms are loosely classified into the styles of the three Korean kingdoms: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla.

As far back as 57 BC, the people of Korea were forming various types of ceramics in numerous kilns. Mostly they consisted of common-use houseware items, but they also included artistic pieces featuring royal figures, horses, and Haetae.

During the Silla period, pottery was simple in its design, but over the years the potters developed new styles along with new types of glazes. They also developed better types of clay to be used on their potter’s wheels and in their hand-sculpted pieces. Celadon glazes gave a greenish hue to some of the pottery that was greatly prized in many Asian cultures, largely because of the demand by Buddhist traditions. This style of ware is created by adding a bit of iron to the pottery before glazing. During the firing process, the iron interacts with the glaze, giving the finished products a wide range of green-tinted finishes. This color made this type of ceramic one of value because it not only resembled jade, but traditional beliefs held that the ceramic would change color if poison foods touched it, so there was a safety feature involved.

Over the years, different artistic styles developed, new shapes evolved such as the popular gourd-shape, and elaborate motifs featuring animals such as birds, deer, horses, or fish often adorned the pottery. Celadon versions of this style are called cheongja, while pottery made from high-grade white clays, glazed with feldspar, are called Baekja. The popularity of Baekja peaked just before the rise of the Joseon Dynasty.



Goryeo porcelain was usually used for smaller, more stylized ceramic items, such as incense burners or tea cups, and ran the gamut of colors that included shades of brown to almost black. Celadon glazes were used to highlight various changes in the shading of these items, which were often modeled after birds, insects, flowers, and geometric shapes. The influence of Confucianism, however, lent a more simplistic style to Korean ceramics, including a rise in the amount of white porcelain produced.

The Joseon Dynasty produced some of the more spectacular works of pottery and ceramics, and the styles became much more elaborate and colorful, not only in the design but also in the decoration. These were considered the height of the culture, and many art historians today refer to this period as the “Golden Age” of Korean pottery. This is thought to be due to the use of chambered climbing kilns, a few of which can still be seen throughout Korea in traditional folk villages. As a result of new styles, glazes, clays, and kilns, Korean pottery became famous and highly sought-after, particularly in the Busan region. Many quality ceramics found their way to Japan, either through trade or outright theft. Korean pottery was so valued, in fact, that the Japanese were known to actually abduct entire families of potters in order to get their hands on these wares. Who would have guessed the Japanese were such pot-fiends?



Several beautiful examples of the original, traditional Korean-style ceramics are on public display in Korea’s many museums. If you happen to be in town, we highly recommend taking a day or two to visit some of these places to see the many products of this amazing hand-craft for yourself. If your travels will miss the Land of the Morning Calm, you may yet have a chance to view some of these stunning works as the museums often arrange international tours of many of Korea’s cultural artifacts. But take my advice – see them in Korea. It is a place not to be missed.