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Buncheong ware in Leeum museum
Buncheong ware in Leeum museum
Leeum Museum houses marvelous examples of old Korean works of art. The collection spans a long historical timeline, from the Three Kingdoms period (0–1000 AD) to the more recent Joseon dynasty. Most of the pieces were collected by Samsung's founder, Lee Byung-chul, and his successor, Lee Kun-hee. These two powerful leaders of the Samsung conglomerate had a deep love for art and collected numerous pieces with great enthusiasm.
One notable category in the collection is Buncheongsagi (grayish-blue powdered celadon), a type of celadon that was popular in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. During this period, political power shifted from the wealthy aristocracy to young scholars. These frugal scholars preferred ceramics with minimal decoration and a rough texture, reflecting their identity and their aspiration to replace material wealth with a new focus on scholarship.
The word Buncheong refers to the technique of covering blue celadon with white clay. This aesthetic aligns with the new elite's values, which emphasized breaking away from traditional social structures and embracing a freer, more casual style. The patterns on Buncheongsagi are relatively simple yet convey a sense of seamless expansion toward the future. Plants and animals are depicted with just a few brushstrokes or carvings, and even the multiple concentric circle brush marks around a rounded bottle create a stylish and dynamic design.
Buncheongsagi represents the hope for a new era and dynasty—a sentiment that resonates deeply with people across generations, as the desire for a better world is timeless.
A sense of freedom in Buncheong ware
A sense of freedom in Buncheong ware
Buncheong ware has its own sense of freedom and playfulness. The name Buncheong refers to white slip applied over a grayish clay body. White slip was applied to the clay body, and then transparent glaze was added. Buncheong gained popularity during the transition from the late Goryeo Dynasty to the early Joseon Dynasty and flourished mainly during the 15th century.
Buncheong stood in contrast to the refined celadon tradition of Goryeo. Goryeo celadon was coated with a glaze containing a small amount of iron. Potters had to put great care into maintaining the right temperature and a reducing atmosphere and applying an appropriate thickness of the glaze layer to achieve its beautiful jade-green color. The margin for error was relatively narrow, especially for high-quality celadon, and potters also put great care into its elaborate decoration. Successfully fired celadon with well-executed decoration could become a highly valued product. In this context, the potters’ freedom of expression was relatively limited.
In contrast, Buncheong did not require the same degree of precise control to achieve its characteristic appearance. This gave Buncheong potters greater freedom of expression. They could use the surface of Buncheong ware almost as their own canvas. A few simple lines or the bold scraping away of white slip could create striking decorative effects. Because of this, viewers can feel a sense of artistic freedom in Buncheong ware. The uninhibited playfulness of skilled masters confident in their craft emerges through these simple expressions.
This aesthetic was well suited to the atmosphere of the age, when the old aristocratic order was declining and a new scholarly elite was emerging.
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