Page 9 - Korean Buncheong Ceramics, Samsung Museum Collection (great book)

Lender’s Foreword

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art is dedicated to fostering an appreciation for the beauty of Korean
art and culture. Through its permanent collection, special exhibitions, and publications, the Museum
endeavors to provide opportunities for both scholars and the general public to experience firsthand
the essence of traditional Korean art. We are pleased to partner with The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York, on the exhibition “Poetry in Clay: Korean Buncheong Ceramics from Leeum, Samsung
Museum of Art,” which will also be shown at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco — institutions
in the United States committed to showcasing Korean art. In particular, this accompany ing volume,
published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, is an important addition to the field.
A singular genre of ceramic art that was produced in Korea during the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) for both royalty and the working class, buncheong
embodies a compelling aesthetic character, sense of humor, and vitality. Buncheong’s decorative
techniques and motifs — from everyday subject matter to imaginary creatures to abstract
patterns — are delightfully innovative, and integrate past and present, transcending time and
space. The dynamism of buncheong’s tradition continues with today’s artists.
We are pleased to have the opportunity to share our collection of buncheong ceramics with
a broad international audience and readership. The exhibition and publication introduce this
remarkable ceramic ware through an examination of its history and the vessels’ designs, as well
as buncheong’s influence on Japanese tea bowls and on modern and contemporary pottery and
painting. In particular, the juxtaposition of buncheong and twentieth-century painting suggests a
deep visual resonance and a timeless connection between the traditional and the modern in
Korean art. It is our fervent hope that both the exhibition and the publication will convey the unique
and vibrant qualities of Korean art.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Thomas P. Campbell, Director; Mr. James
C. Y. Watt, Brooke Russell Astor Chairman of the Department of Asian Art; the exhibition’s co-curator
Ms. Soyoung Lee; and everyone at The Metropolitan Museum of Art involved in bringing this
exhibition and publication to fruition. At the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, we appreciate
Mr. Jay Xu, Director, and Ms. Hyonjeong Kim Han, Curator of Korean Art, for their contributions. We
would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Kim Byung-Kook, President, and Ms. Yoon
Keum-jin, Director of Culture and Arts, both of the Korea Foundation, for this endeavor.

RA HEE HONG LEE
Director General
Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art
Seoul