Page 30 - Korean Buncheong Ceramics, Samsung Museum Collection (great book)

The increased consumption of these ceramics contributed to the improvement of both
the quantity and quality of buncheong ware. For example, when the government ordered that the
names of potters be inscribed on the bases of vessels, it became possible to evaluate the work
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of the ceramists sending their wares to the royal court and government offices and improve the
quality by replacing the makers of inferior products. And indeed, excavations at kiln sites demon-
strate that inlaid and stamped buncheong ware produced from the 1430s to the 1460s was at the
peak of its refinement and sophisticated design. Such excellence in quality is exemplified by a
drum-shaped bottle from this period (cat. 9): its contours are smooth, its decoration meticulous
and delicate. The Joseon state’s initiatives played an important if indirect role in increasing the
production of buncheong ware throughout the country and improving its quality.

Catalogue 9 Drum-shaped bottle with decoration of rows of dots. Korean, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910); mid-15th century.
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Buncheong with stamped design, H. 6 3 ⁄4 in. (17.2 cm), L. 8 ⁄4 in. (21 cm), Diam. of mouth 1 ⁄4 in. (4.3 cm).
3
Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, Treasure no. 1423

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