KERAMIC STUDIO 
41 
KOREAN POTTERY AFTER KORIN PERIOD 
use of an insti'ument for that purpose, or formed bj' the 
potter's wheel. 
And here it may be remarked that Korea was the birth- 
place of the potter's wheel, which, as described by Mr. Jouj^ 
consists of a circular table from two to three feet in diameter 
and four to six 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 depression in the ground, and revolves easily 
by means of small wheels working 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, and 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. 
The existence of any special principles of decoration or of 
symbols peculiar to Korean art has not yet been fully worked 
out. There are, however, certain art-motifs which often occur 
on Korean wares. Chief among them is the wave-pattern, 
which resembles the effect produced by overlapping the ends 
of feathers. The autumn leaf, floating on the stream, and the 
half-submerged flower also convey expressive sentiments in 
Korean art. Arabesque lines that break up the general 
decoration by means of flat fillets or curved flutings, too, are 
prominent forms of decoration. Such lines are composed of 
fruit or flowers, especially the peony. The chrj^santhemum 
design, too, is Korean, and so is the shark's tooth, which is 
used chiefly on vases where the sphere-shaped surface requires 
a broad base and sharp slope to a point. 
A close examination of ancient Korean bowls, vases, 
trenchers, etc., discloses very graceful forms and chaste decora- 
tions, including the Swastilfa, or Buddhist cross, the dotted 
diamond, the wave pattern, etc. 
The collection of pottery objects already alluded to as 
having been obtained from Korean graves, may be taken as 
typical of the ancient productions of the country. There is 
a stone-ware dish made of dark grey paste and shaped like a 
shallow saucer, with a low foot; a wine bottle of light yellowish, 
gramdar paste, with an opalescent coating showing yellow 
spots and dark brown pits, and another one of hescvy terra 
cotta ware, covered with vitreous cracked enamel of a beautiful 
greenish-grey tint. Near the top of the body, which is jug- 
shaped, there is a short spout. This bottle is an obsolete form 
of about the twelfth centur}^. An iUustration of it and the 
other pieces described is shown in the second picture. Such 
specimens are of equal value with real porcelain, and are of 
special interest in that they hint at the origin of the celebrated 
Japanese Satsuma ware. A specimen of ancient earthenware 
is seen in the wine cup and stand at the extreme left of the 
same illustration. These pieces are rtidely glazed. The cup 
is shaped to represent a lotus. There are also several bowls of 
hard, opaque ])aste, covered with a thick, vitreous, green 
crackled glaze. The one on the extreme right is of fine, white, 
hard-paste porcelain, and is ornamented with the wave or 
cloud pattern on the inside. This is produced by scraping 
away the paste, the indentations being filled in with a thicker 
layer of glaze. This ware, which came from the old potteries 
at Song-do, is exceedingly rare. 
The third picture shows some modern pieces of pottery, 
such as a globular bowl (Jd-tang-quan) of dark red stoneware, 
glazed on the side which was subjected to the greater heat. 
Next to it is a wine bottle of heavy glazed porcelain (Sul-biung) , 
ornamented with the dragon design in blue, and in this con- 
nection it is important to note that the Korean potters were 
unable to impart any color but blue to their white ware until 
the revival of color decoration — some two or three decades ago. 
r^- •?The objects in the lower line of this picture make up what 
might be termed a Korean dinner service, including saucers 
