The know-how of making spotted-pattern porcelain has been inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list in May 2018. Several pieces of porcelains, including a spotted-pattern vase (made in 2012), a calabash-shaped spotted-pattern vase (made in 2013) and a spotted-pattern vase decorated with scenic spots of Mt Chilbo (made in 2013), are now preserved as the national treasures in the Korean Art Gallery.
The spotted-pattern porcelain, which had disappeared due to the atrocities of the Japanese imperialists who plundered Korea of its cultural properties at random, came to retrieve its appearance, thanks to Yu Kwan Jun, a ceramist who has made painstaking efforts to develop the traditional folk crafts.
He was born in Rason in the northern part of the country. After graduation of a school, he has worked as a member of technical preparation office of the Kyongsong Ceramic Factory, a researcher of the Ceramic Institute under the then Academy of Light Industry and a head of ceramic department of the North Hamgyong Provincial Fine Arts Studio. Based on his knowledge learned at Pyongyang University of Fine Arts and rich experience gained during his creative activities, he has produced over 150 pieces of porcelains and displayed them to the national exhibitions.
He devoted himself to studying ancient ceramics, including celadon, black celadon and cinnabar-inlaid celadon in the period of Koryo, and makeup porcelain, white porcelain and chinaware with cobalt blue drawings in the period of feudal Joson dynasty. In the course of this, he came to know that the spotted-pattern porcelain belonged to a type of celadon created in the last period of Koryo (918-1392). Recovering and developing the know-how of making the disappeared spotted-pattern porcelain was a very important matter related to the problem of inheriting and adding lustre to the tradition of national culture.
He buckled down to delving deep into old documents on the spotted-pattern porcelain, a national heritage. The method of producing the porcelain was very difficult as it had to be made by mixing over three kinds of raw materials. He found out a reasonable mixing ratio of raw materials and applied various moulding methods to produce the effect of heterochromatic decoration with such patterns as clouds, wave and glow. He also introduced the Korean painting techniques of engraving the beautiful scenery of nature and animals and plants on the porcelains in a bid to add beauty to their form, and diversified their shapes into vase, pot, kettle, cup and other vessels.
His devoted efforts bore good fruits. Finally, he succeeded in making spotted porcelains with different shapes, unique colours, beautiful and elegant patterns and fantastic and kaleidoscopic lines.
He says to the people full of curiosity and admiration at the sight of his porcelains: I do not simply reflect a picture or a pattern on them. Those porcelains represent the soul and the breathing of the Korean nation. That is why my family members put all their heart into making the spotted-pattern porcelains.
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