Korean Ceramics Book

Very charming story of how a japanese collector came to love korean ceramics.

Korean ceramics book.

Korean ceramic trends had an influence on japanese pottery and porcelain. Through a continued mutual exchange with china korea developed a ceramics style that captured the korean spirit. Korea boasts a ceramics history that dates back 10 000 years. Korean bronze age pottery tends to be undecorated walls are thicker and there is a greater variety of shapes typically steamers bowls with pedestals and jars with handles.

Book is a little bit on the small side and generally leaves out the early history of korean ceramics beginning only in the koryo period except for one or two examples. This is one of the best books on korean ceramics in english. The book is written from the viewpoint of the different worlds korea experienced from pre history to the present day with the changing needs for and utility of the ceramics themselves. It does however cover contemporary korean ceramic artists.

It gives a behind the scenes view of how influenced the japanese were by korean ceramics. Korean pottery may not be ornate nor is it imposing in size but it is distinguished by its infinite embrace of nature. When there is decoration it covers less of the vessel and takes either the form of the incised motifs of the previous period or applied clay bands.