Korean Ceramics Book

Korean ceramic history begins with the oldest earthenware dating to around 8000 bc.

Korean ceramics book.

In the early stoneware riutual vessels used in korea and japan were very similar due to a shared culture. Korean pottery may not be ornate nor is it imposing in size but it is distinguished by its infinite embrace of nature. Influenced by chinese ceramics korean pottery developed a distinct style of its own with its own shapes such as the moon jar or maebyeong version of the chinese meiping vase and later styles of painted decoration. It gives a behind the scenes view of how influenced the japanese were by korean ceramics.

Korean ceramic trends had an influence on japanese pottery and porcelain. When there is decoration it covers less of the vessel and takes either the form of the incised motifs of the previous period or applied clay bands. The book is written from the viewpoint of the different worlds korea experienced from pre history to the present day with the changing needs for and utility of the ceramics themselves. Very charming story of how a japanese collector came to love korean ceramics.

Book is a little bit on the small side and generally leaves out the early history of korean ceramics beginning only in the koryo period except for one or two examples. Korea boasts a ceramics history that dates back 10 000 years. It does however cover contemporary korean ceramic artists.