Bottle with fish design

Buncheong Ware: Bold, Whimsical, and Rustic

Quintessentially Korean, buncheong flourished during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The term “buncheong,” meaning “white-slipped stoneware,” was coined in the early twentieth century by art historian Ko Yuseop (1905–1944). On surfaces covered with white slip (a mixture of white clay and water), potters executed various decorative techniques, such as inlay, stamping, incising, brushing, and dipping. Buncheong ware was born with the establishment of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) and reflected the aesthetics of its time. In contrast to the celadons of the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)—which had been produced in designated kilns for limited users—buncheong were produced in kilns of all types across the Korean peninsula for all social classes, ranging from upper-class ritual vessels to everyday wares of commoners. The style had an enormous influence on Japanese ceramics as well. Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s invasions of the Joseon dynasty (1592–1598) were known as “ceramic wars,” as many Korean potters were forcefully brought to Japan. Following those years buncheong developed rapidly in Japan, while in Korea smooth-finished whiteware became dominant.