Lotus, as a pattern material, has been widely engraved on celadon. Not only is it found on almost all the kinds of celadon, but the way it is inscribed is varied: through incision, carving, impression, inlaying, underglazing, iron painting, openwork, ...
Lotus, as a pattern material, has been widely engraved on celadon. Not only is it found on almost all the kinds of celadon, but the way it is inscribed is varied: through incision, carving, impression, inlaying, underglazing, iron painting, openwork, and shaping. As a huge number of celadon pieces with lotus patterns have been handed down to the present generation, some celadon pieces, particularly those hailed as masterpieces, show a high-level technology and expression, positively using lotus as a pivotal design.
This research was aimed at figuring out the changes that occurred in lotus designs with the passage of time, based on a wide range of unearthed celadon pieces, in addition to the analysis of the lotus patterns engraved on Goryeo celadon pieces. The previous studies, which largely focused on the expressions of lotus, dealt with examples engraved on celadon pieces as a subordinate problem in documenting the lotus patterns found in the sculptures during the Goryeo Dynasty. Moreover, in-depth studies on the lotus patterns inscribed on Goryeo celadon pieces themselves have not been conducted as the materials are insufficient due to the limited excavations. Fortunately, as an investigation on relics pulled up from the seabed whose production dates can be estimated is under way, it is now possible to determine how lotus patterns have changed with time. Therefore, capitalizing on such positive achievements, this research was conducted to record the changes that occurred in lotus patterns chronologically. On the other hand, considering that a host of exhibitions with the theme of celadon pieces have been opened, it is believed that a probe into the lotus patterns that are most widely engraved on celadon pieces is also needed.
Lotus, which was a popular material in Goryeo dynasty, was positively engraved on celadon. While the flower is closely related to Buddhism, it is worth viewing for its own beauty, and that is why the poets then wrote a lot of poems as they savored and enjoyed the lotus. Thus, the lotus may have naturally been utilized as a design for celadon pieces while reflecting the class that could buy and appreciate celadon pieces at that time.
A close look at the lotus design reflected on celadon pieces will reveal that practically all the parts of a lotus flower, such as the petal, leaf, stalk, bud, and anther, were made part of the celadon design. The reason is that all of them are worth appreciating. In addition, a variety of combinations showed up plastically. This thesis divided the lotus patterns on celadon into four categories (the lotus petals, branch, scroll, and pond designs), based on the make-up and expression of the lotus pattern. The lotus petals design(蓮瓣紋) refers to the pattern consisting of lotus petals. This design decorates the external surface of a porcelain piece with lotus petals, which makes the whole porcelain piece look like a lotus flower. In the lotus branch design(蓮花折枝紋), a lotus flower and its petals unfold from a single cut-off branch. It is generally composed with the vertical order of lotus petals-lotus flower-lotus petals. The lotus scroll design(蓮花唐草紋) is a pattern in which all the factors related to the lotus are connected by a scroll and then fully arranged across the scroll. A lotus flower blossoms on the creeper of the scroll, much of which is a form seen from the side, and its patterns appear successively, a feature of the lotus scroll design. Lastly, the lotus pond design(蓮池紋) is a pattern featuring the landscape of a pond, where lotus flowers bloom. This design is different in that the parts of the lotus flower are used as elements comprising a pond, are not combined, and are in harmony with other elements, through which a pattern is created.
On the other hand, when the major excavation investigations were reviewed in this study and were classified into kiln sites, seabed recoveries, and consumption relics, various kinds of celadon porcelains were found in almost all the excavation sites. Such results indicate that the Goryeo celadon has an array of characteristics. Not to speak of the celadon for the royal family, shoddy articles were found almost across the country, which vividly shows that the consumers then had a wide range of backgrounds, and that diverse people appreciated these kinds of patterns. Even better, a number of celadon pieces with lotus patterns were discovered from relics whose production date could be calculated, making it possible to record them chronologically and to determine which lotus patterns were more widely used by period.
The lotus petals(蓮瓣紋) and lotus branch designs(蓮花折枝紋) were found to date back to the latter part of the 12th century, when lotus patterns were just beginning to be engraved on celadon. The lotus scroll(蓮花唐草紋) and lotus pond designs(蓮池紋), on the other hand, were introduced in the 13th century, when both had assumed their respective standardized forms, and when various expression methods were tried. In the 14th century, the lotus petals design(蓮瓣紋), which had been widely engraved as a primary pattern, disappeared, and the lotus scroll(蓮花唐草紋) and lotus pond designs(蓮池紋) took its place. While some factors influenced by the character of the Yuan Dynasty(元代) showed up, and the existing patterns lost steam in the latter part of the 14th century, the lotus pond design(蓮池紋) continued to be used even after the Chosun Dynasty(朝鮮) came about.
This thesis is quite different from the previous studies in that it not only analyzed the types of lotus designs but also took an in-depth look at the trends of the changes that occurred in lotus patterns by period. In addition, it was found in this study that lotus designs were used as a supreme decoration for celadon pieces throughout the Goryeo Dynasty, and were colorfully engraved on celadon pieces as new design forms turned up. Moreover, this thesis can be said to be meaningful in terms of art history in that it provides a yardstick by which the production dates and expression methods of different lotus designs can be compared, because lotus designs as a decoration can also be found on other artifacts produced during the Goryeo Dynasty.