Present the Exhibition Goryeo Pottery

September 5, 2023 – January 14, 2024

Special Exhibition Hall, Mokpo National Maritime Museum

The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage (Director: Kim Seong-bae), is hosting the special exhibition Goryeo Pottery at the Mokpo National Maritime Museum from September 5, 2023 through January 14, 2024. This special exhibition highlights the pottery from the Goryeo Dynasty that were used in everyday life and as containers for transporting local foods from and to various regions in the country.

Pottery has been the dominant form of vessel from prehistoric times to the Unified Silla period. In the eras of vitrified pottery, that are Goryeo and Joseon periods when celadon and white porcelain prevailed and even to this day, it continues to be valued in the form of jilgeureut and onggi.

To facilitate understanding of Goryeo pottery, the exhibition features more than 270 pieces of exhibits, including the pottery discovered from the underwater and land archaeological sites of the Goryeo era, ancient documents, paintings, reproduction pottery, and related audio and video contents. Part I entitled “10,000 Years of Pottery Culture and Goryeo Pottery” examines the characteristics of Korean pottery as well as its production techniques. More than seventy objects will be on display that were unearthed from tombs and the sites of living quarters.

Part II, “Goryeo Equally Enjoying Green and Black Wares,” showcases pottery of superior quality, celadon wares, diverse ritual wares, and wine jars inscribed with “良醞,” which is read yang-on, meaning wine for the royal court of the Goryeo Dynasty.

* Yang-on means making savory wine. In the Goryeo Dynasty, the wine brewed for the king was called yang-on, and there was a government office called Yangonseo in charge of wine for the royal and state ceremonies.

Part III, “The Maritime Road for Goryeo Pottery,” illuminates various functions of Goryeo pottery, such as packaging local specialties for transport, as metrological containers, and as daily vessels used on board, through the finds from Taean Mado Shipwreck no. 1, 2, and 3, from the Goryeo era. Most notable in this section of the exhibition are videos and models of Mado Shipwreck no. 3 that carried a wealth of goods destined for the highest and mightiest authorities during the Goryeo military regime.

The vernissage of this special exhibition will be held at 3 p.m. on September 4 (Monday), and the exhibition will be ready to receive the public from September 5. Admission is free and the exhibition will be open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except on Mondays. An international conference will also be held to highlight the value of Goryeo pottery. For more information, please visit the website (www.seamuse.go.kr/mokpo) of the Mokpo National Maritime Museum of the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage.

The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage will continue to present exhibitions to open to and share with the public new excavation materials and research results.