Art Blossoming from the Yellow River Basin

WORLD ART GALLERY

By Park Sunghye Associate Curator of the World Arts Division, National Museum of Korea

A display of ceramics according to major kiln sites

Chinese culture grew out of the Yellow River civilization, and the cyclical rise and fall of various ethnic groups living on a vast territory brought about a diversified cultural mix. The Asian Arts Gallery at the National Museum of Korea was reorganized as the World Art Gallery in December 2019, and the exhibition in the China Gallery was overhauled as well. Most of the items in the exhibit are from the NMK collection, and they represent various genres, including archaeological objects from ancient Chinese culture and paintings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. As such, visitors can come away with a better understanding of China’s long history and culture.

Importantly, the Chinese pottery exhibit has been greatly expanded. The Tang Dynasty 618–907 is known for the great advances that occurred in Chinese pottery, starting with the “greenish in the south and white in the north” rule. Now, visitors to the NMK can compare pieces that were unearthed at different famous kiln sites, including the Yue kilns in Zhejiang, Yaozhou kilns in Shaanxi, Longquan kilns in Zhejiang, Ding kilns in Hebei, Cizhou kilns in Hebei, and Jingdezhen kilns in Jiangxi.

White Porcelain Dish

Jin Dynasty, China / D 18.8 cm

The Yue kilns are China’s oldest; the first celadon ware was produced here at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty 25–220 CE .

By Tang times, these kilns represented the leading celadon production area in southern China. Yue pieces now on display at the China Gallery dating from the Five Dynasties period 907–960 through the Song Dynasty 960–1279 include an ewer decorated with human figures, spittoon with lotus petal pattern, and ewer with chrysanthemum motif.

Four Buddhist steles from the Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties and Miniature Watchtower from Eastern Han Dynasty on display

Ancient ritual bronzewares on display

The Yaozhou kilns remained an important center for porcelain ware for seven centuries, from the Tang 618–907 through the Yuan 1271–1368 Dynasties. Black porcelain, white porcelain, and celadon ware were produced here in Tang times, while celadon was mainly produced here during Song times. These pieces were decorated with diverse patterns that were either carved into or stamped onto the surface. The intricate and refined decorations reveal the exceptional skill of the potters who worked at that time. The pieces on display at the gallery are mainly trays, large bowls, and small drinking bowls.

The Longquan kilns inherited the celadon-making tradition from the Yue kilns, which had long symbolized Chinese celadon ware but was in decline by the eleventh century. Longquan celadon enjoyed its peak period in the Southern Song Dynasty 1127–1279 , when top quality celadon ware was being produced at the kilns. Celadon output here during the Yuan Dynasty was diverse, ranging from items for everyday use to those made purely for decorative purposes. Our exhibit features various Longquan celadons recovered from the ship that sank off the southwest coast of Sinan, Jeollanam-do, including large vases, large trays, tea bowls and ewers, dishes, and bottles.

The Ding kilns, which became one of the five most renowned kiln areas during the Song Dynasty, started out by producing both green and white porcelain at the end of the Tang and in the Five Dynasties periods. In the Northern Song Dynasty, porcelain took on a milky white hue close to ivory. Ding white porcelain has a friendly, warm feel, and features the use of stamping and various other decorative techniques, as can be seen in rice bowls, tea bowls, and dishes.

Jar with Human Figures Design

Qing Dynasty, China / H 89.3 cm

Lady in the Garden

1813 / By Yuji / 65.8 × 34.4 cm

Red Lacquered Wood Tray

Ming Dynasty, China / 26.2 × 42.1 cm

The Cizhou kilns were a prominent non-government operation during the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and Cizhou ware is noted for its black decoration on white background. These were practical, everyday pottery pieces for commoners, so their quality is cruder than that of Ding white porcelain and they have a darker shade of white. Our exhibit includes a variety of Cizhou ware pieces, including a bottle with black decoration on a white background as well as black-glazed ewers and cups.

Celadon ware and white porcelain ware were produced at the Jingdezhen kilns during the Five Dynasties periods, and the production of yingqing (shadow bluegreen) ware, blue-greenish white porcelain with special coloring, began here in the Song Dynasty 960–1279 . Our new exhibition displays a number of Jingdezhen pieces from the NMK collection, including tea bowls, dishes, ewers, and censers.

A room for visitors to relax while enjoying Chinese culture

Also, now on display from the NMK collection are fine examples of blue and white porcelain, a genre that has fascinated the entire world, from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. The painted porcelain exhibit shows remarkable technical accomplishments from the history of Chinese pottery. To make blue and white porcelain, the potter paints the decoration on the surface in cobalt-blue pigment before applying the glaze and then firing the piece. On the other hand, painted porcelain requires a more advanced series of steps. First, glaze is applied to the surface of a piece, which is then fired. Next, the decoration is painted onto the surface before the piece is fired again at low temperature. The decorations are executed in five basic colors—vermilion, yellow, green, indigo, and purple—resulting in diversely colored works of art that provide visitors with a look at Chinese pottery that is both resplendent and exquisite.

The last part of our new exhibit features pieces from the collection of Kim Hongnam, a former NMK Director General. The space re-creates a scholar’s study from the Qing Dynasty and is designed as a multifunctional space that allows visitors to relax while enjoying Chinese culture. A Chinese traditional display cabinet has been installed to help provide the feel of a scholar’s study from the period. The ambience is further enhanced by a Chinese landscape in a video presentation by media artist Lee leenam.

Lady in Male Attire Holding a Hawk

Tang Dynasty, China / H 37.7 cm

A visitor looking at the bronze ritual vessels from the collection of the British Museum