GORYEO DYNASTY (918–1392)

The Korean Goryeo dynasty produced a celebrated array of ceramics and porcelain, but the most well-known of all is celadon, its greyish-green hue achieved through the materials used and the firing technique. Goryeo ware are undecorated or are embellished with incising, openwork, embossing, or inlay, complemented with painting in hues of black, brown, red, or with the use of gold. Starting in the tenth century, the celadon produced in neighbouring China during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) influenced Goryeo ware. Korean celadon came into its own primarily during the twelfth century. A characteristic ware is inlaid (sanggam) celadon, featuring motifs carved into the unfired clay body, which are then filled with white or black slip before being glazed with celadon and fired. Production of celadon ceramics continued into the fourteenth century, but its quality declined. (JMl)