기산풍속도(箕山風俗圖)로 본 개항기 유기의 제작과 외국인의 소비

Abstract

Gisan Genre Paintings contains paintings made by Gim Jun‒geun (pen‒name: Gisan), who carried out activities as a painter mostly in or around newly opened ports including Wonsan during the era of the country’s door opening toward the end of the 19th Century. Paintings of these types were mostly bought by foreigners visiting the country. They depict customs of daily lives of people during said era. Those focusing on the handicrafts of that era tell us what handicraft skills were like, how the painter engaged in the work, and who bought paintings of these types in that era. This study examined how foreigners bought these paintings and how they viewed them, along with information on brassware, at that time based on what are contained in these paintings. Following the era of door opening, many foreigners with diverse nationalities and purposes of visit swarmed newly opened ports and major cities in Joseon. These foreigners engaged in diverse activities including collection of materials about the areas they were interested in. This painting tells us how interested art collectors were in obtaining artworks, along with the situation surrounding the handicrafts of that era. Tools and minute description about the working process contained in this painting and relevant books authored by foreigners in that era tell us how brassware were made and sold between the late 19th Century and the early 20th Century and provide information on foreigners’ consumption trend and view of artworks like these. At that time, there were three types of brassware: bangjja (those made by beating with a hammer); those made by casting, and; half‒bangjja (those made with a mixture of the two methods). Napcheon and Anseong were major areas of production of brassware made by casting among other places. Foreigners favored these types of brassware. This study analyzed painting pieces included in said album and which portray scenes of casting and trimming the surface and adding hue to the color of objects and found that said work was part of the casting or half‒bangjja work based on literature of the era. This study saw that there is little difference in production skills used currently and those used at that time. According to books authored by foreigners, brassware was purchased for collection associated with folk research or use in people’s daily lives. The books also tell us that the handicraft pieces contained in this painting were generally those favored by foreigners. This study focused on brassware handicrafts. It is necessary to carry out research on the pieces in this painting associated with other subjects. This study focused on production, consumption, and people’s view of brassware from the perspective of handicraft history based on paintings associated with social customs at that time. The significance of this study lies in the fact that it attempted to get a grasp of foreigners’ view of handicrafts made in Joseon and purchasing pattern in an extraordinary situation of the country, i.e., era of door opening.