조선 전기 한양 출토 중국 청화백자의 소비상황 연구

Abstract

It is well known that the Joseon Dynasty, from the beginning, had a ceramic culture of high quality. However, blue and white porcelain was not produced due to the absence of pigments such as cobalt. It is from the late 15th century that the royal kilns of the Joseon court began to manufacture blue and white porcelains, but such products were limited in number and intended for the use of the royal family and a few members of the nobility. In the first half of the Joseon dynasty, the merchants of the capital city Hanyang developed, maintaining close links with the political authority. In this process, demand for luxury items by the merchant and noble classes increased. However, at that time, blue and white porcelain was a luxury item that could not be obtained with money alone. Therefore, it is in such circumstances that Chinese blue and white porcelains came to be imported. The porcelain sherds discovered at many excavation sites in the Hanyang capital are an evidence of this phenomenon. The aim of the current research is to examine Joseon society's consumption of Ming trade-ceramics at this time, and to compare it with the nature of consumption observed for other areas, such as the Ryûkyû kingdom, which also imported Chinese ceramics. The members of Joseon society preferred blue and white porcelains to any other type of Chinese trade-ceramics. At other neighboring regions (such as the western parts of Japan and the Ryûkyû kingdom), on the other hand, it is Longquannyao celadon sherds that are frequently excavated. The reason that this is not the case for Korea is because Joseon was able to independently produce celadon and thus did not need to import it. A similar pattern can be observed for the Cizhouyao ceramics – Joseon consumers were only interested in obtaining blue and white porcelains and therefore were not interested in buying Cizhouyao ware. The sherds of imported Chinese blue and white porcelain mostly comprise tableware, such as bowls, cups and dishes, the majority of which came from the Jingdezhen kilns. The decorative patterns and designs mainly utilize foliage scrolls with lotus and auspicious flowers, designs of pine, bamboo and apricot blossoms, and patterns of auspicious animals, such as lions. In addition, lotus point designs and designs comprised of written characters, including Sanskrit, were also used. The amount of Chinese blue and white porcelain that was imported appears to have increased in the middle of the 16th century. Although a considerable amount of Chinese blue and white porcelain was imported, it was still highly expensive product. Therefore, if blue and white porcelain vessels were broken they were repaired and continued to be used. Repaired fragments and evidence of restoration have been found around the royal kiln sites of the Gwangju area.