Jeolla History: Gangjin
The Mecca of Goryeo Celadons
Down the southern coastline from Gwangju is a region called Gangjin. Gangjin is famed for its production of Goryeo celadon and was once considered the mecca of Goryeo culture. Because of its beauty, Goryeo’s celadon was not only demanded by the royal family and by noblemen, but it was also exported to China. The famous Chinese poet Su Dong Po praised Goryeo celadon, considering it to be one of the 10 masterpieces of the time. Goryeo was not the first country that created celadon, but its special clear-green color and patterning technique made its pottery unique and priceless.
The beauty of Goreyo celadon came from its color. The secret to this special green color is the glaze. A glaze is nothing more than a mixture of burned wood ashes and water, but when it is applied to the surface of pottery and heated as high as 1300 degrees Celsius, the glaze produces an exotic green color that resembles the jade. Depending on its iron concentration, the applied glaze results in different colors. The best glazes have 3% iron. If there is less, the pottery will be colored a weak green. If there is more, the pottery would be a very dark green, which would devalue the celadon. Only the best craftsman knew which trees had the right concentration of iron.
Another secret to celadon’s beauty was the Sang-gam method. The method was used from as early as the 12th century to draw unique patterns of flowers, animals, and trees on the celadon’s surface. Basically, the Sang-gam method entails adding a different type of clay to the pottery made of kaolin base. The craftsman carved the surface of the celadon and added white clay and crockery clay in the shape of flower or crane before putting it to the kiln. The white clay would portray white color and the crockery clay would produce black color in the finished porcelain. Because the clays used in porcelain had different components, it was easy to break in high temperature. Thus, a highly professional technique was required to keep this porcelain intact at high temperature.
Eighty percent of this high quality celadon were made in Gangjin. Gangjin gave the perfect environment for these brilliant celadon pieces. The three important components in making celadon are the soil, the trees and the technique. Jangheong’s CheonGuan Mountain near Gangjin gave the region sufficient trees for fuel.
Gangjin still has a trace of its old glory. Every August, residents host the “Ceramics Festival” in order to celebrate the creation of Goryeo celadon. The festival opens various field studies and exhibitions so people can remember and appreciate the beauty and meaning behind Goryeo celadon.