I've seen Chinese celadon, but does Korea also have this ceramic tradition?
WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS
'Korean ceramics were influenced by China, particularly celadon, which was created during the Koryo period [918 to 1392],' says Heakyum Kim, Korean art specialist at Christie's New York. 'Most of our celadon is from the 12th and 13th centuries. We used to handle stoneware from about the ninth and 10th centuries but, like Chinese earthenware, we found there wasn't a market, unless it's a special piece.'
After the Koryo period, other ceramics emerged. In the 15th century, punch'ong, an earthier group of coarse grey ceramics embellished with white slip and covered in green-tinted, semi-translucent glaze, was introduced. 'White porcelain came later, from the 16th to 19th centuries,' she says.
GREEN WITH ENVY
'Forms were sometimes based on early metalwork and stone-ware. More popular items include bowls, ewers, bottles, cups and stands and the maebyong vase, known as meiping in China,' Kim says.