This paper attempts to reveal the origin of Korean stoneware. Stoneware were quite prosperous in the south of Korea while it was opposite in the north of Korea. There was a great transformation in Korean society when stoneware appeared. When Lelang(...
This paper attempts to reveal the origin of Korean stoneware. Stoneware were quite prosperous in the south of Korea while it was opposite in the north of Korea. There was a great transformation in Korean society when stoneware appeared. When Lelang(樂浪) came down migrations who moved to the south of Korea brought with new techniques, and at the same time small states developed to real countries in the south of Korea. So it is significant to research stoneware's origin.
Chapter One discusses the research about this subject. We can summarize the opinions as 3 main points. The first point sees the stoneware as a new element and tries to find its prototype from other cultures. The second point considers stoneware as a kind of Padding Pottery(타날문토기) and stoneware firing technique was provided at the beginning of Proto-Three Kingdoms Period. The third point emphasizes political reasons in stoneware's production, which spends a great quantity of labors and material resources.
In general, neither in the north of Korea nor in the north of China, the stoneware was not popular. And the interflow between the south of China and south of Korea is later than stoneware's appearance. So I agreed with the opinion that Korean stoneware was developed from earthenware. In fact stoneware appeared at late stage of Proto-Three Kingdoms Period. At the early stage of Proto-Three Kingdoms Period potteries were fired in pit kiln but not downdraft kiln(登窯) while high firing method was not provided. So I attribute the origin of stoneware to adopting high-firing method and I focus on discussing when and how the kiln appeared.
Chapter Two analyzes the structural factors and heating effects of pit kiln, updraft kiln, and downdraft kiln. To achieve better result the thesis redivides the type of the kilns. Based on the analysis we know that in China several kinds pit kilns existed from Neolithic Age to Warring States Period. These small kilns can fulfill the needs domestic pottery enough. Kilns turned larger in scale as a result of brick and tile production, and were limited by the construction techniques. In addition it is clear that downdraft kiln also uses 「flat fire」(平焰)to heat pottery pieces.
Chapter Three uses statistical method to process the data of Korean kilns. It shows that 4 kinds of existing division methods were useless to clear up the Korean kiln's system. At the early stage of Proto-Three Kingdoms Period potteries were fired in pit kiln, while in the late period the downdraft kilns emerged rapidly in great dimensions. Considering the development of Chinese kilns, Korean kilns should be associated with mass manufacture. In the south of Korean around 3 century the increase of population and material production provided the necessity and prerequisite for using kilns and long-time firing.
At the same time brick-chambered tombs were very popular in Lelang(樂浪), of course the brick and tile firing techniques spread in peninsula. This is the background of kiln's appearance in the south of Korea. We know that Korean kilns(登窯) did the same way as downdraft kiln. The kilns were larger in scale at the beginning of its emergence. This is according with kiln's tendency of getting larger in scale in Han dynasty. But because of the limit of topographical condition and construction technique kilns appeared as a sketchy form of downdraft kiln in Korea.
Chapter Four compares the clay resource and social background to interpret why stoneware were prosperous in the south of Korea and the south of China.
There is a kind of clay which is high in SiO2 and has relatively little RxOy. It can resist melting and falling down as well as vitrification enough during high-temperature phases of firing. As Chinese stoneware is made of this kind of clay, the property should be fit for stoneware firing. From chemical element analysis of Korean pottery we found that this kind of clay is very popular in the south of Korea. Firing large quantity of potteries in kilns needs longer time consequentially. Together with the advantage of clay brought out stoneware naturally.
It is the same in both China and Korea that the stoneware appeared at the period which the population and material production increase to a rather high level. Large quantities of vessels were required either in daily life or as sacrifices. Since other expensive vessels for example bronze or lacquerware were not flourished it is the turn for pottery to replace luxury item.
Clay and great demands of stoneware is important for stoneware firing. Though in these two factors there is not absolute difference between North and South, considering investment in other field such as manufacture of bronze or bricks it is easy to understand why stoneware which should spend a great quantity of labors and material resources than earthenware, was not popular in both the north of China and the north of Korea where the ceramic production and the socio-political development was so advanced.