Page 29 - Korean Buncheong Ceramics, Samsung Museum Collection (great book)

left: Catalogue 7 Small dish with decoration of rows of dots and inscription (Gimhae). Korean,
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Joseon dynasty (1392–1910); mid-15th century. Buncheong with stamped design, H. 1 3 ⁄4 in. (4.5 cm), Diam. of rim 4 ⁄2 in.
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(11.5 cm), Diam. of foot 2 ⁄8 in. (5.5 cm). Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul
right: Catalogue 8 Dish with decoration of rows of dots and inscription ( gwa). Korean, Joseon dynasty
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(1392–1910); mid-15th century. Buncheong with stamped design, H. 1 ⁄2 in. (3.8 cm), Diam. of rim 6 ⁄4 in. (15.8 cm),
Diam. of foot 2 ⁄2 in. (6.3 cm). Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul
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inscription, Gimhae, in a lively style. Gimhae is the name of an area in Gyeongsang Province, in the
southeast of the Korean peninsula, where remnants of buncheong kiln sites can be found today.
The names of the regions of manufacture were inscribed either inside or outside, but usually on a
visible part of the vessel. Other place names found on buncheong ware include Gyeongsan,
Gyeongju, Goryeong, Miryang, Seongju, Yangsan, Jinju, Changwon, and Hapcheon, most of which
are in Gyeongsang Province. Interestingly, the names of areas in other provinces are rarely
inscribed. Though scholars assume that these inscribed regional names refer to areas in which
buncheong was produced and from which it was sent as tributary taxes, it is not clear why there
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are so few inscribed names of places of buncheong production from other provinces, such as
Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, or Jeolla. While those pieces with names of government bureaus make up
a significant portion of the buncheong ware with inscriptions, we also find examples with other
characters, such as gwa, meaning fruit (cat. 8). Extant dishes inscribed with gwa all have serrated
edges. They were likely used as ritual vessels. 15

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