Aspects of the Excavation of White Porcelain with the Inscription ‘天·地·玄·黃’ and the first half of the Chosŏn Dynasty Blue and White Porcelain in the Capital City Hanyang

Abstract

The royal kilns in Kwangju, Kyŏnggi-do, produced a large number of white porcelain every year to provided them to the palace and government offices in Hanyang, the capital city of Chosŏn, and white porcelain became the dominant ceramic of the Chosŏn Dynasty. The white porcelain from the royal kilns were used in the palace, government offices, and many different places in Hanyang. In Hanyang area, white porcelain with the inscription ‘天·地·玄·黃,’ which are the most representative of the royal kilns, were excavated from 87 sites. The sites appear all around the city though most are concentrated in the original city center, such as today’s Chongnodaero. White porcelain shards are found in many excavation sites in Hanyang as they were widely used for many duties of Saongwŏn, the Royal Cuisine Office. The continuous production of white porcelain in the royal kilns meant that it was always available in Hanyang, resulting in the development of white porcelain culture in early Chosŏn. On the other hand, blue and white porcelain made in the royal kilns were only used by the royal family and a select few in early Chosŏn. Of 500 excavation sites in the capital city, only 143 pieces of blue and white porcelain were found in 38 sites. Early Chosŏn blue and white porcelain pieces were mostly discovered in Ch’ŏngjin-dong and Kongp’yŏng-dong where the residences of the king’s or the queen’s family and relatives were located. Majority of the items are rimmed dishes and jars. Rimmed dishes were generally used for alcohol and decorated with a variety of motifs, but as jars were made for official banquets or to decorate public establishments such as Sŏnggyun’gwan, the National Confucian Academy, their decorations were limited to certain designs — such as the motif of the Three Friends of Winter or dragon and cloud design.