The Journal of Korean Art and Archaeology

I INTRODUCTION

This paper deals with the Goryeo celadon wares discovered near Biando off the northern coast of Byeonsanbando, Okdo, Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do. The celadon wares were accidentally discovered in 2002 by a fisherman named Jo Dongseon. Upon Jo's notification to the authorities, an underwater inspection team from the National Maritime Museum of the Culture Heritage Administration of Korea was immediately dispatched to the site.

The celadon wares appear to have lain for centuries hidden from view covered under a thick layer of sediment. The accelerated tides produced by the recent construction of the nearby Saemangeum embankment seem to have swept this sediment away, revealing the ceramics. The number of items discovered so far is 3,117 including the discoveries of 243 pieces by Jo and 211 by the inspection team (see Table 1). The remainder was recovered during five seasons of scientific underwater excavations conducted between May 2002 and September 2003.

II CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHAPE, PATTERNS, AND PRODUCTION METHODS OF GORYEO CELADON WARES FROM BIANDO

01 SHAPES

The shapes of the celadon wares from Biando vary from daejeop (大蝶: large bowls), jeopsi (蝶匙: plates and dishes), jan (盞: cups), hap (盒: lidded boxes), jeonjeopsi (展蝶匙: dish with flat rim), bal (鉢: mid-size bowls), tonghyeongjan (筒形盞: cylindrical cups), ttukkeong (gae, 蓋: lids), wan (盌: small bowls), to sojeopsi (小蝶匙: small plates), with daejeop and jeopsi forming the bulk of the discovery. There are also hwahyeong jeonjeopsi (花形展蝶匙: flat-rimmed plates of petalled shape), and gakjeopsi (角蝶匙: polygonal plates). In the case of the daejeop, the rims are mostly curved inward. Specimens of celadon bal and wan were found only in small numbers, while celadon jan and ttukkeong were rare. Celadon tonghyeongjan and hap are most noticeable pieces, especially for the black-and-white inlay decoration on celadon hap.

1) Daejeop (大蝶: large bowls)

The rim of the daejeop is mostly curved inward while the body retains a curvature and the inner base is molded to make a circular bottom. The foot is short and tilted toward the center (Plate 1). Some daejeop have no decorative pattern at all, neither inside nor outside, while others have yeonpanmun (蓮瓣又: open lotus petal design) incised on the outside. A few daejeop are decorated with molded moranmun (牡丹文: peony design) with leaves all over the inside and others have molded yeonpanmun on the outside. However, daejeop typically have patterns only on one side of the vessel, either on the inside or on the outside. Vessels fired on naehwato bijim batchim have four spur marks on the foot and the inner base is mostly glazed. The colors range from greenish-brown and bluish-green and the body is thin and has a glossy surface (Plate 2).

( Plate 1 ) Celadon wan H: 8.0 cm; Diameter: 16.6 cm (rim), 6.0 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian H-038 and Bian B-384

( Plate 2 ) Yeonpanmun celadon wan H: 7.2 cm; Diameter: 16.4 cm (rim), 6.2 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian E-006

2) Jeopsi (蝶匙: plates and dishes)

Jeopsi form the bulk of the collection. They are mostly flat with a short foot which is slightly curved inward and has four spur marks. There are jeopsi with yeonpanmun incised on the outside, with aengmumun incised on the inside, or with no decoration at all. The colors are mostly greenish-brown and bluish-green, similar to daejeop. Some gakjeopsi are polygonal below the main body and have an outwardly curving mouth and a short and small foot. Some bear no design on the outside but on the inside are molded with yeonhwadangchomun (蓮花唐草文: lotus petals with arabesque designs) or moranmun. The polygonal jeopsi have four spur marks and many are of a deep bluish-green hue.

Jeonjeopsi are small jeopsi with a diameter of about 10 cm and a flat rim. A few jeonjeopsi have a foot, which is flat and low, like that of the typical small round jeopsi. On the foot of jeonjeopsi, there are three spur marks and the color of the glaze is bluish-green. Hwahyeongjeonjeopsi are dishes with a flat rim with six grooves making a petal shape. The interior is encircled by a band of yeouidumun (如意頭文: ruyi pattern) and hwamun (花文: flower pattern) carved in relief throughout while the exterior has no decoration. The foot is carved out from the inside and has four spur marks. Many jeonseopsi are of a deep bluish-green color.

3) Jan (盞: cups)

The celadon jan have an inwardly curved mouth and the body has an overall round shape. The foot is angled inward and has three spur marks. Some have no patterns, while others have yeopmun (葉文: leaf design) incised on the exterior; a band of noemun (雷文: thunder pattern) on both the interior and the exterior; or three floral sprays of gukhwamun (菊花文: chrysanthemum design) inlaid in black and white on the exterior. The glaze colors range from greenish-brown to bluish-green. A question still remains as to whether the jan were used without matching saucers or whether matching saucers had been produced but have yet to be discovered. Tonghyeongjan are special type of cup with a cylindrical body which has either no pattern or incised or carved yeonpanmun on the exterior (Plate 3). The latter have either yeonpanmun or gukhwamun on top or seonmun (線文: linear design) that depicts a flower petal and a sprout-like handle at the top center. Colors vary from deep bluish-green to greenish-brown and they have three spur marks on the foot. Many tonghyeongjan are of fine quality with an evenly applied deep bluish-green glaze.

( Plate 3 ) Celadon tonghyeongjan with molded yeonpanmun H: 8.2 cm; Diameter: 8.1 cm (rim), 5.6 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian B-384

4) Wan (盌: small bowls)

Celadon wan are rare among the excavated pieces. They have no decoration on the curved body and the foot faces inward and is short in length. A mix of bluish-green and greenish-brown glaze is found on the surface and the foot shows traces of having been fired on a stand. Celadon bal were also found, but only rarely. Like the wan, the bal has no pattern but has an outwardly curved and relatively tall foot typically seen in sabal (沙鉢: small bowls for rice). A bluish-green glaze is applied evenly on the body and there are four spur marks.

5) Hap (盒: lidded boxes)

The celadon hap are notable for their variety of incised patterns. Celadon hap with incised chrysanthemum flowers typically have a single chrysanthemum flower thinly incised on top of the lid with rows of smaller chrysanthemums clustered around it. A typical bluish-green glaze is evenly applied around the hap. The foot is curved inward and shows traces of having been fired on gyuseok batchim (硅石墊具: silica stone supports). The box and its matching lid were fired together with thin clay supports inserted between them.

This particular lid of a celadon box with peony or moranmun inlay (靑瓷象嵌牡丹文盒) (Plate 4) has three spur marks. The surface is shiny and covered with a pale bluish-green glaze. The peony is simply drawn without any pattern band: the flower and bud in white inlay and the stems and leaves in black inlay.

( Plate 4 ) Celadon hap with moranmun inlay H: 3.5 cm; Diameter: 8.0 cm (rim), 4.5 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian 3-063

The lid of another celadon box (Plate 5) carries five chrysanthemums in full bloom, with the flower and leaves inlaid in white and black. The lid is divided in black inlay into five parts, with each division featuring a single flower. The chrysanthemums are enclosed within two concentric circles in white inlay. The glaze is a deep bluish-green and the underside suggests that it was fired on a stand after it had been wiped clean of glaze.

( Plate 5 ) Celadon hap with gukhwamun inlay H: 3.5 cm; Diameter: 8.0 cm (rim), 4.6 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian 3-100

Another box to note is one with a lid elaborately inlaid with chrysanthemum stems and flower buds. The pale bluish-green glaze gently has a slightly glossy surface. The underside of the lid shows that it was fired on a stand after it was wiped clean of glaze.

Celadon hap are, for the most part, distinctively patterned with black and white inlay and adorned with incised chrysanthemums. Along with the patterns on the lids of cylindrical cups, the patterns on the lids of celadon boxes are the most artistic and representative inlay techniques of the early Goryeo period.

02 PATTERNS

The most typical decorative pattern on the celadon wares from Biando is aengmumun or parrot design. Typically, a single parrot or a pair of parrots in flight is incised inside the wares. Sometimes there is only one parrot but more often two parrots appear in a symmetrical arrangement. This pattern is typically seen on many different kinds of Goryeo celadon open vessels such as jeopsi, daejeop, and wan to closed vessels such as hap, byeong (甁: bottles), and ho (壺: jars). However, among the items of the Biando discovery, aengmumun was only found incised on daejeop and jeopsi.

Peony designs usually appear in the form of a single blossom or moranjeoljimun (牡丹折枝文: a design that features peony flowers with branches and leaves) produced by apchul (押出: molding). Incised details were added by hand (陽印刻, yang-ingak: relief carving), as exemplified on the gakjeopsi or polygonal plates. Some vessels have dull, uninteresting arrangements indicating the overuse of the pattern. Molded moranmun and incised aengmumun are the most frequent patterns on the Biando celadon wares.

Yeonhwamun (蓮花文: lotus flower design) and yeonhwadangchomun are also found. On daejeop, jeopsi, and tonghyeongjan they were predominantly incised or carved, although a few molded designs have been found on jeopsi. Many jeopsi and daejeop carry combinations of incised and carved lotus leaves on the exterior and double rows of incised and carved yeonpanmun are commonly applied on tonghyeongjan.

The lid of the hap is noteworthy for having fully open chrysanthemum or peony blossoms incised or inlaid in black and white. Typically, they are not confined within a border but are freely drawn, much like those in a painting.

Less common patterns include bands of yeouidumun or ruyi pattern carved on the hwahyeongjeonjeopsi and bands of noemun or thunder pattern incised on the exterior of jan. Furthermore, there are examples of lines depicting flower petals on the lids of tonghyeongjan (Plate 6) and a simplified chrysanthemum design in black-and-white inlay on the exterior of some jan.

( Plate 6 ) Celadon jan with incised noemun H: 5.3 cm; Diameter: 8.1 cm (rim), 4.2 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian E-276

The most common patterns are the incised parrot design, the molded peony and chrysanthemum, and incised and carved lotus petals. Among the most noteworthy patterns are chrysanthemum and peony scrolls in black-and-white inlay.

03 FIRING TECHNIQUE

The celadon wares discovered off the coast of Biando were most commonly fired on stands using naehwato bijim batchim which leave three or five spur marks on the mount or the base of the wares such as jeopsi, daejeop, wan, bal, jan, and tonghyeongjan, while some were fired on the thinner naehwato batchim. Furthermore, marks of meticulous firing using gyuseok batchim that leave three spur marks on the base of the ttukkeong of tonghyeongjan and the base of hap are found in the more refined examples. However, it is notable that the lids of tonghyeongjan and hap and the foot rims of jan show that naehwato bijim batchim were used (Plate 7). It indicates that the coexistence of different techniques. The naehwato bijim batchim is a firing technique introduced in the early-thirteenth century, quite distinct from the grayish-white naehwato batchim used from the early years of Goryeo until the late-twelfth century. Such a transition in firing technique in the early-thirteenth century is also apparent in gyuseok batchim, which had been used since the early-twelfth century for making refined pottery. By the early-thirteenth century the gyuseok batchim of the early years changed and became thicker (Plate 8).

( Plate 7 ) Base of celadon jan with gukhwamun inlay H: 5.1 cm; Diameter: 6.3 cm (rim), 3.0 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian 2-322

( Plate 8 ) Gyuseok batchim of celadon hap with gukhwamun inlay H: 1.7 cm; Diameter: 8.1 cm (overall) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian 3-098

The foot of the peony-patterned jeopsi, daejeop, hap, and jan is short and tilted inward, attesting to the change from high to low. This style of foot rim is similar to that of white or green porcelain produced in Jingdezhen (景德鎭), Jiangxi Province, China, and reflects the new influences reaching the Goryeo state at the time.

The glaze color also shows a gradual change from a mix of greenish-brown and bluish-green to predominantly bluish-green. Among the bluish-green celadon in the Biando collection are several refined vessels that can be described as bisaek (翡色: a subtle jade-green color that was admired in Song China), suggesting that the celadon wares from Biando were made using the same technique as that used for producing bisaek glazes.

III THE DATES AND LOCATION OF PRODUCTION

01 DATES

When and where were the Goryeo celadons discovered off Biando produced? A comparative analysis with the available data on Goryeo celadon from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries may offer some clues.

Firstly, a comparison with the Goryeo celadon discovered along with Hwangtong yungnyeonmyeong injongsichaek (皇統六年銘 仁宗謚冊: Edict of King Injong in the sixth year of Hwangtong, 1146) in Jangneung (長陵), Jangdan (長湍), Gyeonggi-do (京畿道, Gyeonggi Province) may be helpful: a gwahyeongbyeong (瓜形甁: gourd-shaped celadon bottle); a banghyeongho (方形壺: square celadon jar); a gukhyeonghap (菊形盒: chrysanthemum-shaped celadon box); and a tonghyeongjan or cylindrical celadon cup.1

The celadon gwahyeongbyeong has a gourd-shaped body with bisaek glaze and traces of grayish-white naehwato batchim and the celadon banghyeongho has a thick layer of celadon glaze all over and spur marks of naehwato batchim on the base. The celadon gukhyeonghap has an open chrysanthemum petal indentation on the lid and the base and the celadon tonghyeongjan has a thick layer of bisaek glaze and a foot showing subtle traces of gyuseok batchim.

The chief common features between the celadon wares of Jangneung and those discovered at Biando are the presence of refined celadon vessels with bisaek glaze and hap and tonghyeongjan ttukkeong bearing the marks of gyuseok batchim spur marks. Moreover, some of the chrysanthemum-incised hap from Biando have the same designs as those on celadon gukhyeonghap and they also share a similar body shape. In particular, the carved tonghyeongjan from Biando has the same cylindrical body, the same handle in the shape of a lotus bud on the lid, and the same gyuseok batchim spur marks as the celadon tonghyeongjan from Jangneung (Plate 9). What is particularly telling here, however, is that whereas the Jangneung celadon has no decorative patterns, the Biando hap and tonghyeongjan have various patterns applied by incising, carving, and inlaying. This indicates that the latter are newer, post-1146 celadons. Furthermore, the fact that the Biando celadons were fired on naehwato bijim batchim rather than on grayish-white naehwato batchim is another indication that the Biando wares are later than those discovered in Jangneung.

( Plate 9 ) Celadon tonghyeongjan with molded yeonpanmun H: 10.1 cm; Diameter: 10.4 cm (rim), 8.0 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian D-113

Secondly, there are various extant Goryeo celadon vessels that correspond to those mentioned in Goryeosa, (高麗史: History of Goryeo). The record in the eleventh year (1157) in the reign of King Uijong (毅宗, r. 1146-1170) says, “…in the fourth month, early summer… built a pavilion named Yang-uijeong in the back garden of the palace… covered the roof with celadon roof tiles… (…夏四月…. 基北構養怡亭 蓋以靑瓷…).” This description matches the quality of the Goryeo celadon tiles excavated from the Manwoldae (滿月臺), Goryeo Royal Palace Site, Gaeseong, in 1927 and various fragmentary pieces of Goryeo celadon excavated from the Sadang-ri Kiln Site (沙堂里窯址) in Gangjin under the auspices of the National Museum of Korea.2

These fragmentary pieces of Goryeo celadon roof tiles include sumaksae (convex) tiles carved with moranmun, peony designs; ammaksae (concave) tiles carved with dangchomun, arabesque designs, and fragments incised with a combination of these patterns. There are also some celadon fragments decorated with partial inlay technique, with molding strengthened by incising at an angle or yang-ingak technique, and simple molding.

The Sadang-ri celadon carved jeopsi and daejeop with moranmun made using a similar molding technique to that found in the Biando wares. Furthermore, the jan and hap bearing chrysanthemum and peony inlay from Biando (Plate 10) exhibit an inlay technique that is more refined than those applied on the celadon roof tiles excavated from Manwoldae.

( Plate 10 ) Celadon daejeop with molded moranmun H: 6.7 cm; Diameter: 18.7 cm (rim), 6.5 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian 2-194

Thirdly, there is the research by the National Museum of Korea about the celadon fragments with the character “成” (seong) in inlay, excavated from Gangjin Sadang-ri Kiln Site No. 7, and thought to be from the early thirteenth century. The celadon fragments with this character, which may refer to the name of the potter,3 include fragments of jan; jeopsi decorated with parrots; daejeop with molded lotus petals; jan with carved lotus scrolls; gakjeopsi with carved peony scrolls; hwahyeongjeopsi with carved ruyi patterns; gakjeopsi; tonghyeongjan with carved lotus petals; and hap with peony inlay.

A total of fifteen pieces, these fragments of Goryeo celadon from Sadang-ri Kiln Site No. 7 are very similar in shape, production method, and patterns to the ones found off the coast of Biando. For instance, the jan from the Biando collection is of identical shape to the one from Sadang-ri. On the other hand, the incised aengmumun of the Biando jeopsi and daejeop is more simplified than those of the delicate and realistic looking ones from the Sadang-ri Kiln Site.

Likewise, in comparison with the ones from Biando, the carved yeonpanmun daejeop and incised yeonpanmun jeopsi from Sadang-ri display a sharper carved technique. The difference in the delicacy of the patterns is also found in the apchul technique that was used in the application of moranmun and moranjeoljimun although the technique itself is similar. The ones on the gakjeopsi from Sadang-ri surpass those from Biando. In addition, the ruyi pattern inside the molded jeonjeopsi from Biando and the one on the fragment from Sadang-ri are similar, but the color of the latter is superior. The Biando wares feature various sizes of yeonpanmun tonghyeongjan similar in shape to the ones from the Sadang-ri except that the lotus design carved on the exterior of the latter is sharper. In the case of the Biando inlaid celadon gukhwamun and moranmun hap, they share similarity in terms of the shape and the black-and-white inlay on the top of the lid, but the Sadang-ri wares are more complex than the Biando ones with additional incised dangchomun around the more simplified moranmun.

There is also a difference in firing method: the wares from Biando were fired on naehwato bijim batchim whereas the Sadang-ri ones were fired on gyuseok batchim. In terms of the shape of the foot, the two are quite similar. Both have a short, tilted foot rim with the inner side of the base remaining intact. The Sadang-ri wares bear the distinctive “成” in inlay on the bottom of the mount indicating that the artifacts were made in Gangjin. Overall, the wares from Biando and Sadang-ri share similarities in shape, production method, patterns, and firing techniques.

Fourthly, there are some well-known Goryeo celadons with accurate dates of production, all of which show traces of naehwato bijim batchim along with the early incising-inlay technique applied on the Biando discoveries. They are the celadon bottles with a wide mouth and the inscription of gichuk (己丑) year4 (assumed to be from 1229, Hoam Art Gallery); the maebyeong (梅甁) with chomun (草文: plant pattern) inlay and the inscription of gyeong-in (庚寅) year (assumed to be from 1230, Hoam Art Gallery);5 the inkstone with moranmun inlay and the inscription of sinchuk (辛丑) year (assumed to be from 1241, Hoam Art Gallery);6 the inlaid bal with the inscription of gyechuk (癸丑) year (assumed to be from 1253, National Museum of Korea).7

Lastly, there are the twelve Goryeo celadon wares excavated from Jireung (智陵), the tomb of King Myeongjong (明宗, r. 1170-1197). The tomb is situated in Jangdo, Jangdan, Gyeonggi-do and was renovated in 1255. The celadon vessels include wan with molded unhangmun (雲鶴文: clouds and crane pattern); molded moranmun hwahyeongjeopsi; molded yeouidumun jeopsi; jeopsi; incised yeonpanmun wan; incised moranmun tagu (唾具: spittoon); daejeop with incised yeojimun (荔枝文: lichee pattern) inlay; jeopsi with gukhwamun inlay; inlaid hwamunhwayeong (花文花形: petalled shape with floral design) jeopsi; and palgak (八角: octagonal) jeopsi with floral inlay.8

These examples are similar in pattern to the jeonjeopsi with incised moranmun and molded yeouimun from Biando. Moreover, the yeonpanmun on the Biando wan are similar to those on the celadons from Jireung. They share the same short, tilted foot, and spur marks of firing on gyuseok batchim or naehwato batchim while showing a difference in the color and the quality of glaze: those from Jireung are of a deeper bluish-green of superior quality. Judging from the perfect inlay technique on both the interior and exterior of the jeopsi and daejeop, these celadons excavated from Jireung probably postdate those from Biando.

As analyzed above, a comparative analysis of the Biando celadons with other Goryeo celadon vessels of known dates suggests that the Biando wares were produced around 1220.

02 PRODUCTION SITE

One possible site of production for the Biando wares is the Jinseo-ri Kiln No. 18 in Buan, where artifacts with the following characteristics have been found:9

Also present at Jinseo-ri are fragments of refined celadon with gyuseok batchim or naehwato batchim along with the tools used at the kiln. The colors of celadon fragments come in both greenish-brown and bluish-green like the Biando collection and the inlay technique is similar.

The other likely production site of the Biando wares is the Yucheon-ri Kiln Site Zone No. 7 in Buan, where celadon vessels with the following characteristics have been excavated:10

Furthermore, there are ttukkeong with moranmun and gukhwamun inlay and celadon fragments with the marks of being fired on gyuseok batchim or naehwato batchim. There are also fragments in greenish-brown, bluish-green, and bisaek. Simplified aengmumun is a common feature in the wares from both Yucheon-ri and Biando. There are also small and big tonghyeongjan and examples with gukhwamun in combination with seonmun or linear designs.

The presence of such similar features strongly suggests that the Biando celadon wares were produced at the Yucheon-ri Kiln Site Zone No. 7 in Buan.

A third possible production site for the Biando wares is Yongun-ri No. 10-2 Kiln Site, Gangjin.11 Among the celadon vessels excavated from this site the following have similar shape and features as those from Biando: incised yeonpanmun wan and jeopsi; incised aengmumun wan; jan and tonghyeongjan with incised and carved yeonpanmun; gakjeopsi with carved moranmun; and hwahyeongjeopsi. The colors of greenish-brown and bluish-green are present but the faint aengmumun and the hap as found from Biando are absent.

Thus the Gangjin Sadang-ri Kiln Site No. 7 is the least likely production site for the Biando vessels as the celadons produced at this kiln are more refined in quality, especially those with aengmumun, which requires greater skill in expressing details (Plate 11).

( Plate 11 ) Celadon daejeop with incised aengmumun H: 7.1 cm; Diameter: 17.0 cm (rim), 6.0 cm (foot) National Maritime Museum of Korea: Bian C-112

IV CONCLUSION

The kiln sites that feature the most similar celadon to those of Biando are the Jinseo-ri and Yucheon-ri sites in Buan and the Yongun-ri and Sadang-ri sites in Gangjin. Among these sites, Yucheon-ri Kiln Site Zone No. 7 in Buan revealed the same aengmumun, the same types of vessels, the same inlay technique, and the same molding technique as those in the Biando collection.

It is fairly reasonable, therefore, to imagine that, during the height of Goryeo celadon production in the 1220s, the Yongun-ri Kiln Site No. 10-2 and the Sadang-ri Kiln Site No. 7 in Gangjin as well as the Jinseo-ri Kiln Site No. 18 and the Yucheon-ri Kiln Site Zone No. 7 in Buan developed and competed with one another as key production sites. It is likely, however, that the Biando wares were produced sometime in the 1220s at the Yucheon-ri Kiln Site Zone No. 7 in Buan, as analyzed above. What caused the ship to sink off Biando cannot be determined but the celadons on the ship were being transported from Julpo (茁浦) in Buan, and were most likely headed for Gaeseong, the capital of Goryeo, where the demand for the most exquisite celadon wares was the highest.