KOREAN COLLECTIONS IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 435 



Finer specimens of Korean pottery are to be found in Japanese muse- 

 ums and in various collections. Japanese wares seem to owe their 

 excellence to Korean potters.* 



TIk' glazed wares of the Song-do potteries, to l)e described, are seem- 

 ingly protoporcelain, Judging from the paste, which is evidently kao- 

 linic. This variety of heavy celadon, or olive-colored ware, has been 

 dug up from graves in Kinng-Ju or Kiou-chiu, the capital city of the 

 ancient Kingdom of Silla, which existed through one thousand years 

 previous to 1000 A. D. 



Korean pe-eJmn (sky color) ware was much esteemed by the Chinese, 

 ami there is a Chinese poem dating from the latter part of the Sung, or 

 beginning of the Ming dynasty, setting forth the imi)ossibility of imi- 

 tating the pe-churi of Korean pottery. The poem begins, ^'■Kaoli pe-chun- 

 ja,^^ "Korean sky color porcelain;" ja being the Chinese i/^o or porce- 

 lain. (Soh.) 



The mortuary pottery collection of Mr. P. L. Jouy Avas found in 

 ancient graves, containing also objects of copper, bronze, and stone. 

 The pottery is of an early type of unglazed and slightly glazed (vertiis) 

 earthenware, of archaic shape. Some of the objects were modeled by 

 hand, patted into shape by an instrument, thrown on a wheel; or, a com- 

 bination of these methods was used.+ 



The Korean potter's wheel consists of a circular table from "2 to 3 feet 

 in diameter and 4 to inches thick, made of heavy wood so as to aid in 

 giving impetus to it when revolving. In general appearance it is not 

 very unlike a modeler's table. This arrangement is sunken into a de- 

 pression in theground, and revolveseasilybymeansof small wheels work- 

 ing on a track underneath, the table being pivoted in the center. The 

 wheel is operated directly by the foot, without the aid of a treadle of 

 any kind. The potter sits squatting in front of the wheel, his bench 

 or seat on a level with it, the space being left between his seat and the 

 wheel to facilitate his movements. With his left foot underneath him 

 he extends his right foot and strikes the side of the wheel with the bare 

 sole of the foot, causing it to revolve.^ 



Stoneware dish (Koriu-ji-jub-si). Dark gray paste containing air- 

 holes. Slip, dull greenish gray. Shaped like a shallow saucer 

 with a loAvfoot; it maybe a rude cup stand. Slip corroded by 

 long burial. PI. xii. Fig. 1, upper line (commencing at the left). 



*W. E. Griffis: The Korean origin of Japanese art, Scribner's Monthly, Dec, 1882. 



t P. L. Jouy, Korean Mortuary Pottery. Smithson. Rept. ii, 1888, p. 591. "Mr. P. 

 L. Jouy, U. S. National Museum, contributed a collection from the pi-ehistoric graves 

 in Korea, in which are included stone daggers, arrow and spear heads, knives, chipped 

 aud polished hatchets, polished jade, megatama or curved jewels, amber heads, and a 

 polished stone ornament. * * * * They are a valuable contribution to prehistoric 

 archaeology." (Plate VI.) Report on the department of prehistoric anthropology in 

 the U. S. National Museum, 1889. Report of the National Museum, 1888, p. 330. 



\F. L. Jouy. The Korean Potter's wheel. Science, Sept. 21, 1888, p. 144. 



