South Korea · Ceramics / Pottery
청자 (Cheongja) / 고려청자 부활
Goryeo celadon (cheongja) is the Korean ceramic tradition that produced, between the 10th and 14th centuries, some of the most technically and aesthetically remarkable ceramics in world history — praised by Chinese Song Dynasty observers as 'first under heaven.' The specific jade-green glaze color, the complex inlay technique (sanggam), and the precise reduction firing that produces the characteristic translucent gray-green hue were all lost for 600 years after the Mongol invasions destroyed the Goryeo kiln communities. The 20th and 21st century revival of cheongja — through systematic archaeological investigation, glaze chemistry analysis, and Living National Treasure transmission — is one of the most ambitious craft archaeology projects in history. The sanggam inlay technique — incising the clay surface, filling with white or black slip, and applying the celadon glaze — is particularly demanding because the inlay must survive the glaze application and firing without bleeding.
Risk level: Endangered · Not inscribed; within Korean ICH Living National Treasure system; Gangjin as UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art
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