Synopses & Reviews
This notable catalogueand#151;the first English-language publication on the subjectand#151;highlights the art of the early period (1392and#150;1592) of Koreaand#8217;s revolutionary Joseon dynasty. The Joseon rulers replaced the Buddhist establishment and re-created a Korean society informed on every level by Neo-Confucian ideals. They supported the production of innovative secular art inspired by past traditions, both native and from the broader Confucian world. Yet despite official policies, court-sponsored Buddhist art endured, contributing to the rich complexity of the early Joseon culture.
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The exquisite paintings, porcelain and other ceramics, metalware, and lacquerware featured in the book are drawn from the holdings of major Korean and Japanese museums, the collection of the Metropolitan Museum and other U.S. collections; and private collections. Many of the works have never been seen in the United States.
Synopsis
This notable catalogue--the first English-language publication on the subject--highlights the art of the early period (1392-1592) of Korea's revolutionary Joseon dynasty. The Joseon rulers replaced the Buddhist establishment and re-created a Korean society informed on every level by Neo-Confucian ideals. They supported the production of innovative secular art inspired by past traditions, both native and from the broader Confucian world. Yet despite official policies, court-sponsored Buddhist art endured, contributing to the rich complexity of the early Joseon culture.
The exquisite paintings, porcelain and other ceramics, metalware, and lacquerware featured in the book are drawn from the holdings of major Korean and Japanese museums, the collection of the Metropolitan Museum and other U.S. collections; and private collections. Many of the works have never been seen in the United States.
Synopsis
Bold, sophisticated, engaging, and startlingly modern, Buncheong ceramics emerged as a distinct Korean art form in the 15th and 16th centuries, only to be eclipsed on its native ground for more than 400 years by the overwhelming demand for porcelain. Elements from the Buncheong idiom were later revived in Japan, where its spare yet sensual aesthetic was much admired and where descendants of Korean potters lived and worked.
This innovative study features 60 masterpieces from the renowned Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul, as well as objects from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and presents current scholarship on Buncheong's history, manufacture, use, and overall significance. The book illustrates why this historical art form continues to resonate with Korean and Japanese ceramists working today and with contemporary viewers worldwide.
About the Author
Soyoung Lee is Assistant Curator, Department of Asian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. JaHyun Kim Haboush is King Sejong Professor of Korean Studies, East Asian Languages and Cultures, and History, Columbia University. Sunpyo Hong is Professor of Korean Art History, Department of Art History, Ewha Womanand#8217;s University. Chin-Sung Chang is Assistant Professor of East Asian Art History, Department of Archaeology and Art History, Seoul National University.