The most well-known Korean ceramics are the celadon of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) and the white porcelain of the ensuing Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). [...] The celadons of Goryeo, their grace and color tinged with feminine beauty, symbolized an aristocratic Buddhist culture, while the white porcelains from the Joseon period are thought to typify the bureaucratic and scholarly Confucian society and were essentially masculine in tone, vigorous and orderly. [...] Korea's traditional ceramic wares serve as a barometer for understanding Korean culture in that they most accurately reflect Korean aesthetics and the Korean worldview.

Introduction 6



Chapter 1

The West's Love of Korean Ceramics 10

Appreciation for Joseon Ceramics | Korean Ceramics: Delicate Yet Rustic Simplicity



Chapter 2

Classical Elegance of Goryeo Celadon 20

Splendor and Decline of Goryeo Celadon | The Key Characteristics of Goryeo Celadon | The Best Under Heaven, The Celadons of Korea



Chapter 3

Free-Spirited Buncheong Ware 38

Development of Buncheong | Different Types and Techniques | Buncheong, A Native Korean Product



Chapter 4

Simplicity of White Porcelain 48

From Celadon to Buncheong to White Porcelain | Establishment of Bunwon | Historical Overview Of Joseon White Porcelain



Chapter 5

Korean Ceramics Manufacture and Methods 64

Onggi: Living and Breathing Crockery from the Joseon Dynasty | Celadon | Buncheong | White Porcelains



Chapter 6

Contemporary Trends in Korean Ceramic Arts 74

Pioneers of Modern Korean Ceramics | Second-Generation Potters



Chapter 7

Korean Ceramics: Where to Go 86

The World Ceramic Biennale | Gwangju: Home of Joseon Porcelain |

Icheon: Korea's Porcelain Heritage Lives on |

Yeoju: The Beauty of Practicality | Gangjin, Center of Goryeo Celadon





Appendix

Information 102