Page 127 - Symbols_of_Identity_Korean_Ceramics_from the Chang Collection
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108. his large onggi ware vat has a reddish body material and
Vat Tis coated with brown glaze. It is simply decorated with
19th–mid 20th century, Joseon–Modern raised and incised lines, impressed dimples, and spirals made
Stoneware with brown glaze by running a finger through the glaze while it was still wet.
H: 101.5 cm, W: 75 cm The inside of the jar has impressions of concentric rings and
is thinly brushed with glaze. The base is flat.
Large jars, like this, were too cumbersome to make by throw-
ing on a potter’s wheel. Instead, these containers were made
by building up the bodies with concentric coils of clay until
the desired height was reached. A paddle was then used to
strike the outside of the jar, with an anvil supporting the in-
side, until the desired shape was obtained. Impressed concen-
tric circles inside this jar are caused by the design on the anvil.
A large plate, or basin-like lid would have been used to cover
the mouth of the vat.
The humble onggi ware was used by all levels of society in
premodern Korea and well into the twentieth century. These
wares come in a vast array of shapes and sizes and were an
essential part of Korean food culture. Such large jars would
have been used for purposes such as water or food storage.
When used for pickling foods, called kimchi, these contain-
ers were buried in the ground during winter, with only the
tops exposed, to create an ideal and constant temperature for
pickling. Today, these utilitarian wares are being replaced by
commercially made products. Even the making of kimchi, for
which the onggi jar was once essential, is being carried out
with the use of electric kimchi refrigerators.
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