Lecture: Goryeo Celadon and Material Culture

Ceramic specialist Namwon Jang discussed the Goryeo celadons from the Art Institute’s collection, on view in the Korean galleries.
The practice of drinking tea was brought to the Korean peninsula from Tang China (618-907) and widely spread in the Goryeo court and Buddhist temples. When ceramicists in the region began making teaware with Goryeo celadon, the objects were not only functional but rare. They acquired new material value and a reputation as objects of taste. In this talk, Jang discussed how the celadon produced during the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392) reflects the material culture of Goryeo society and its international relationships with China and Japan.
The discussion was held in Korean and live-translated into English.
This program was generously funded by the National Museum of Korea.