분원공소기(分院貢所期, 1883-1895) 왕실용 백자의 진상체계와 진상용 백자의 성격- 『분원자기공소절목』과 『하재일기』의 비교분석을 통해-

Abstract

Bunwon jagigongso jeolmok [Royal Kiln Porcelain Supplier Regulations] (a newly transcribed copy of Gapsin jeolmok of 1884, dating from 1894) is a set of guidelines on the operation of the Gwangju kiln which was one of the kilns administered by Saongwon, the government agency overseeing the production and supply of white porcelains for the royal palace. In this paper, I focus particularly on one of the provisions in Bunwon jagigongso jeolmok, titled “Gimyeong jeongga sikjil,” which is a pricing table for white porcelain dishes and vessels. The table lists prices paid by the palace agency to the supplying kin for one hundred seventy-five white porcelain products, along with the criteria used to set the price, such as the type of supply, type of dishes and any additional decorative elements. ‘Gimyeong jeongga sikjil’ therefore offers important glimpses into the distribution structure of white porcelains supplied to the royal palace in the late 19th century. White porcelains were procured for the royal palace through two supply methods: one known as ‘wonjinsang’ and the other ‘naechulbyeolbeon.’ ‘Wonjinsang’ refers to the regular annual supply, and ‘naechulbyeolbeon’ ad-hoc supplies to complement the annual supply or to meet a temporary demand that arose as a result of special events planned in the royal palace. This suggests that groups involved in the distribution of royal palace white porcelains included private suppliers meeting unexpected demand on an ad-hoc basis. I further examine the concrete types of porcelain mentioned in ‘Gimyeong jeongga sikjil,’ their sizes and pricing structure. When the names of porcelains are compared with their mode of supply, a close relationship was found between the type of dish and the supply method. For example, sasinhang, jars used for Joseon envoys to carry honey to Beijing as a present on their annual trips, were supplied according to the regular recurrent schedule. Likewise, jehotanghang, jars for holding jehotanggo which was a summer beverage consumed in the royal palace, were also produced and supplied based on an annual schedule of procurement. These dishes, routinely used, were therefore procured on a regular basis through the wonjinsang method. ‘Gimyeong jeongga sikjil’ further classifies porcelain dishes by size (from extra-large and large to medium, small and extra-small), measured using the Yeongjo cheok scale. By comparing their sizes with some of the surviving tableware, I provide objective measurements that can be used in future research on the sizes of Joseon porcelains. Finally, through analysis of the pricing structure of royal palace porcelains, I establish that the procurement prices were about one-fifth to one-seventh of the market prices and explain the reasons why they were priced well below the market prices. As the names of dishes listed in ‘Gimyeong jeongga sikjil’ themselves contain extensive information, detailed research is likely to shed more light on Joseon white porcelains that were produced for use in the royal palace.