Jar with chrysanthemum and peony design

Innovation in Ceramics: Inlaid (Sanggam) Celadons

The blue-green glazed wares on view in this case, known as celadons, show an inlay technique called sanggam in Korean. Potters carve designs or patterns into the surfaces of the vessels and then fill in the carved areas with different colors of clay. White clay remains white after firing, while red ocher turns dark brown or black. After firing at a low temperature, around 800–900 degrees Celsius, glaze is applied, and the vessel is fired again at around 1250 degrees Celsius.

The inlay technique came into fashion in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). It was used to create motifs including those found in this case, for example, chrysanthemums and willow trees. The technique was not only used to decorate celadons, but was also applied in other craftworks, such as mother-of-pearl lacquerwares and metalworks. Some scholars say the rise in popularity of inlaid celadons during the military regime of the thirteenth century was due to the officers’ preference for sophisticated and elaborate decoration over simple design.