Buncheong

Buncheong
Flat bottle with incised fish design (National Treasure No. 178)
Korean name
Hangul	분청사기
Hanja	粉靑沙器
Revised Romanization	Buncheong Sagi
McCune–Reischauer	Punch'ǒng Sagi

Buncheong ware, or Punch'ong ware is a form of traditional Korean stoneware, with a bluish-green tone. Pots are coated with a white slip, and decorative designs are painted on using an iron pigment.

History

Buncheong is a modern term used to describe Korean stoneware produced from the late 14th century and continued today.

Buncheong ware developed from inlaid earlier Goryeo celadon and rapidly distinguished itself. The style emerged in the early Joseon Dynasty, largely replacing celadon in common use. It all but disappeared from Korea after the 16th century due to the popularity of Joseon white porcelain.

Through a series of cultural and economic circumstances, Buncheong wares in its heyday were exported to Japan by practitioners of the Japanese tea ceremony. After they were adopted by the Japanese tea masters, they started to influence Japanese ceramics. And from Japan, Buncheong spread widely and became known as Mishima pottery.

In the 20th century, elements of Buncheong influenced many artists seeking insight into Asian ceramic traditions, and Buncheong continues to inspire artists to this day. Today, some Korean artists are working in stoneware with Buncheong techniques. The development of Buncheong is described in the 2011 book Korean Buncheong Ceramics from Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, published to accompany the exhibition Poetry in Clay in New York and San Francisco.

The National Museum of Korea houses a large collection of Buncheong ware, as well as the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul.

Characteristics

Buncheong is characterised by the use of a dark, iron bearing clay, white slip for decoration and a clear glaze. Decorations can be white slip brushed on, drawing through white slip to reveal the dark body, iron oxide pigments applied with a brush and other methods all employing white slip on the dark body.

Gallery

• 
  Placenta jar stamped with chrysanthemum designs (National Treasure No. 177)
• 
  Lidded jar with inlaid cloud and dragon design (National Treasure No. 259)
• 
  Turtle-shaped bottle with sgraffito peony design in underglaze iron, Joseon dynasty (National Treasure No. 260)
• 
  Drum-shaped bottle with iron brown decoration with arabesque design (National Treasure No. 1062)

See also

• Korean pottery and porcelain

Further reading

• Soyoung Lee, Seung-chang Jeon. Korean Buncheong Ceramics from Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2011. ISBN 978-0300155167
• Masterpieces of Punchong (Buncheong, Punch'ong) Ware from the Ho-Am Art Museum. Ho-Am Art Museum. 1993

External links

Media related to Punch'ong ware at Wikimedia Commons

• Profile of buncheong artist Yoon Kwang-Cho
• Categories of Korean Ceramics