Sculpted celadon works spotlight Goryeo artisans' connection with the natural world

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Sculpted celadon works spotlight Goryeo artisans' connection with the natural world

Published: 27 Nov. 2024, 15:52 Updated: 27 Nov. 2024, 18:05

SHIN MIN-HEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Dragon-and-carp-shaped celadon ewer from the 12th century, on view at the National Museum of Korea's latest exhibition ″Sculpted Celadon of the Goryeo Dynasty″ [YONHAP]

At the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul are a collection of 274 celadon pieces from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). Distinctively, they all take the form of animals, plants or humans instead of the usual vessel shapes.

These sanghyeong cheongja, or sculpted celadons, have been mainly overlooked by history despite their remarkable craftsmanship featuring the bisaek (jade color) glaze and intricate moldings.

Mandarin duck-shaped incense burner lid celadon from the 12th century [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

The National Museum of Korea is holding its first exhibition on sculpted celadons from the Goryeo period. As not much research was done on these types of celadon, other genres of bisaek celadons or inlaid (sanggam) celadons received more spotlight up until now.

The biggest advantage of sculpted celadons is that they encompass both the qualities of bisaek and sanggam celadons, the exhibition’s curator Seo Yu-ri said in a press conference on Monday.

The significance of sculpted celadons is that they represent the aesthetics of the people of Goryeo, as well as their traditional values on nature or religion. They also had practical uses as objects like ewers, brush stands, ink containers and incense burners.

Celadon pieces were sculpted in all shapes and sizes, which would require demanding skills, depicting the Goryeo people’s favorite motifs, from dragons and mandarin ducks to bamboo sprouts and melons. Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist elements were depicted in the celadon pieces, influenced by the three religions that coexisted during that time.

Incense burner celadon with openwork design from the 12th century [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

An incense burner celadon with an openwork design from the 12th century is particularly considered to be a quintessential example of Goryeo’s sculpted celadons. Designated a national treasure, the item is largely comprised of three parts: the spherical openwork lid that includes imagery of the seven treasures in Buddhism, a body enveloped in flower petals and a base supported with rabbit-shaped ornaments.

Visitors to the exhibition can also get a glimpse at celadon pieces from the Amorepacific Museum of Art, the Leeum Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Sculpted celadons did not first emerge in the Goryeo Dynasty. The roots can be traced back to the Silla Kingdom and the Gaya Confederacy from the third to sixth centuries as earthenware and stoneware with figural forms, which were excavated from the tombs of each kingdom’s territories.

Arhat image celadon from the 13th century [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

China also has a rich history of sculpted ceramics, the techniques of which had influenced Goryeo’s sculpted celadons. The artisans of Goryeo eagerly adopted the Chinese techniques, but upgraded the celadons a step further by incorporating the unique sensibilities of Goryeo, the museum’s Director-General Kim Jae-hong, said.

The “Sculpted Celadon of the Goryeo Dynasty” exhibition continues until March 3 next year. The National Museum of Korea is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, with hours extending to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The exhibition is free until Dec. 2 and on Christmas Day and the Lunar New Year holidays.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]