Buncheong Ceramics

CLAY CULTURE buncheong ceramics by Jessica Knapp A strikingly original historical style of Korean ceramics caught the eye of Japanese tea ceremony masters like Sen no Rikyu during the 1500’s. From Japan, its influence spread far and wide and it continues to inspire artists today. Buncheong is a modern term used to describe Korean stoneware that emerged in the 15th century and continued into the 16th century. It evolved from earlier Goryeo period celadon ware, but quickly and radically distinguished itself. Although relatively short-lived in its original incarnation, through a series of cultural and economic developments and regional political situations, buncheong ware was exported to Japan, where it was adopted by practitioners of the Japanese tea ceremony, like Sen no Rikyu, and influenced Japanese ceramics. A new book, Korean Buncheong Ceramics from Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, discusses the development, decline, revitalization, and modern reinterpretations of this work, examining it from both socio-political and aesthetic points of view. The book was published in conjunction with the exhibition, “Poetry in Clay: Korean Buncheong Ceramics from Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art,” which was on view at the Metropolitan Museum 1 2 of Art in New York City earlier this year, and is on view at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco until The buncheong style, which is described in the book as “uniquely January 8, 2012. Korean,” and as having a “startlingly modern aesthetic,” initially lasted for a little over a century. As a general description, it can be classified as stoneware decorated with white slip. In particular, according to the essay in the book by Jeon Seung-Chang, buncheong incorporated carved and stamped decoration, slip inlay, sgraffito through slip, loose and bold brushwork, iron painting over slip, and later brushing and dipping pieces entirely in white slip. On some of these all-white pieces, the only surface design elements are swift, bold brush strokes that reveal the color of the clay beneath the slip. Surface decoration on buncheong wares moved, in general, from the more representational or fine and delicate surface decoration of the Goryeo period toward looser and increasingly abstracted and spare motifs. As with art in all time periods and cultures, buncheong ceramics responded to and reflected the culture around it. Seung- Chang notes that metals like gold and silver became scarce due to 3 tributes demanded from Korea by Ming dynasty China, and bronze became scarce due to the Korean central government’s use of it for 1 Bottle with decoration of dragon-fish among waves, 11½ in. (29 cm) in military purposes, coins, and printing type. As a result, ceremonial height, buncheong with inlaid design, Korean, Joseon dynasty (1392– vessels that were once made of metal were made in clay instead, and 1910), first half of 15th century C.E. 2 Bottle with decoration of fish and the aesthetics and shapes of the metal vessels were copied. According lotus, 12½ in. (32 cm) in height, buncheong with iron-painted design, Korean, Joseon Dynasty, late 15th–early 16th century. 3 Drum-shaped to Seung-Chang, the fact that the central government collected taxes bottle with peony design, 121/4 in. (31 cm) in length, buncheong with iron- from the provinces in the form of ceramic vessels also influenced painted design, Korean, Joseon dynasty, late 15th–early 16th century. Treasure no. 1387. All images this page and next are courtesy of the the style of the work. To prevent theft of these highly-desirable Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea. objects, which was common for a time, the name of the govern- 24 january 2012 www.ceramicsmonthly.org ment office for which the with certain styles revived later in the 1600s at the Busan kilns, piece was intended was primarily to meet the demands of the market for Gohon or export incorporated into the work for use in the tea ceremony in Japan, stoneware that incor- surface design. Early porated buncheon-derived aesthetic elements kept being produced on, the kilns and simultaneously alongside porcelain work in Japan. It’s interesting pottery sites were that the mind set there was not the same. Buncheong was not seen often overseen by as a substitute for porcelain, something that could be phased out as government manag- production of ware in porcelain increased, but rather as a different ers to ensure quality. expression altogether. The aesthetics of both types of work were not Later, when restric- in competition, but rather serving different purposes and demands. tions on metal eased, Although combining elements from different cultures and styles and kilns dedicated is something quite normal for artists today, it must have seemed solely to making wares radical at the time. The potters revived certain techniques selec- for the state were built tively, not imitating older work, but using techniques and motifs in a central location in a new context. Seeing these changes and shifts throughout the and started producing book is truly fascinating. In fact, reflecting on the style as it is porcelain instead of presented in the book, it seems like a constantly moving target. stoneware, the work at The motifs, though originally coming from Goryeo era celadons the other kilns producing change dramatically. Flowers like the chrysanthemum, peony, buncheong ware shifted and lotus, real and imagined animals, including dogs, fish, birds, from ceremonial wares to dragons, continue to be important design elements and motifs, as primarily tableware. The they were important symbols relate to Confucian and other belief government managers who systems. The book explains their meaning while showing how the supervised the production depictions of these motifs evolved over time and everyday motifs 4 of work destined for official also entered the vocabulary. use relocated to the new official kilns. Without the managers to In the 20th century, elements of the buncheong aesthetic mi- dictate style or impose strict division of labor, and with a change grated to Europe and the US via Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada, in patronage to local and regional customers, the wares at the and other influential artists steeped in Asian ceramic traditions. buncheong kiln sites evolved. The surfaces became more lively, Although it never really disappeared in Japan, the style was only informal, experimental, witty, and playful. revived in Korea in the 20th century. Today, there are Japanese During the Imjin Wars (also called the Pottery Wars) of the and Korean artists working with buncheong techniques, some of late 1500s, Japan invaded Korea, intent on also invading China, whose works are depicted in the book. and brought Korean potters back to Japan. These diaspora potters, In addition to providing an engaging and thorough history of some of whom made buncheong wares and others who did not, buncheong, the way that the book follows and documents changes in set up kilns in different regions. They were using new materials, style and production and relates them to cultural factors is instructive responding to a new environment, and making for a to a contemporary audience, and relevant new market, so the work was not exactly what to ceramic artists. Watching the ingenu- they had made in Korea. They combined ity and creativity of the potters emerge some of what they knew along with through the images that accompany the a variety of other traditions from text, and reading how these changes were both Korea and Japan. likely influenced by cultural changes and Soyoung Lee’s essay high- economic demands gives artists a view lights that while production of into another time and culture, but also buncheong wares declined and sets up interesting parameters for looking was eventually outpaced by at contemporary work and analyzing the porcelain production in Korea, various forces that shape it. Korean Buncheong Ceramics from 4 Large jar with peony scroll Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art by Soy- decoration, 19 in. (48 cm) in height, oung Lee and Jeon Seung-chang. Published buncheong with iron painted design, Korean, Joseon dynasty, late 15th– by The Metropolitan Museum of Art New early 16th century. 5 Yoon Kwang- York and Yale University Press, 2011. cho’s Meditation, 15¾ in. (40 cm) in length, stoneware with white slip and http://store.metmuseum.org/books+media/ incised design, Korean, 1994. 5 met-publications/icat/metpublications/. www.ceramicsmonthly.org january 2012 25.

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