Korean Ceramics & Pottery

Korean pottery is notable for its age-old construction methods and distinctive glazes. Celadon and white porcelain, sophisticated figurines, and functional yet elaborately patterned vessels are hallmarks of Korea's ceramics tradition.

The Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla kingdoms of Korea (57 B.C. to 668 A.D.) have been largely credited with the inception of the country’s ceramic tradition. Coarse domestic wares were produced during this "Three Kingdoms of Korea" period, as well highly sophisticated figurines used for votive shrines. Korean pottery during this time was constructed using both the age-old hammered clay and coil method and the potter’s wheel, which offered newfound possibilities of ceramic forms.

In the 14th century, superior clays and glazes were introduced into the ceramic process. These yielded white porcelain as well as celadon, a bluish-green glaze realized through the addition of iron oxide during the firing process. Both became mainstays in Korean pottery.

The Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897 A.D.) is considered to be the golden age of Korean pottery due to the diversity of styles and prolific output of the period. Austere, functional white porcelain coexisted with elaborately patterned vessels often adorned with lotus flowers and willow trees.

Quick Facts

• Invented during the Joseon Dynasty, the chambered climbing kilns of Korea demonstrate an integral aspect of their achievements in the realm of ceramics. They were exported to Japan during this period
• The Korean ceramics of the Goryeo Dynasty (918 – 1392 A.D.) are largely regarded as the finest small-scale ceramic works in Korean history
• Nobility and the scholarly Confucian class traditionally used white porcelain vessels to mark ceremonial occasions, a material which they prized for its understated elegance