Although traditional Korean copper-red ware has been continuously made since the Goryeo dynasty, the difficulty producing the red color from glaze with pure copper only resulted in a relatively smaller number of this kind remaining until now, compared...
Although traditional Korean copper-red ware has been continuously made since the Goryeo dynasty, the difficulty producing the red color from glaze with pure copper only resulted in a relatively smaller number of this kind remaining until now, compared to other kinds of ceramic. For this reason, previous studies on the copper pigment of the traditional Korean copper-red ware were made using the name "Jinsa," which had been used since the Japanese rule of Korea for traditional Korean copper-red ware, rather than in the form of scientific analysis. Therefore, it is necessary to study pigments of traditional Korean copper-red ware pigment in a scientific analysis method rather than from the perspective of history of ceramics, focusing on similarities and differences between Chinese Jun ware and copper-red modern whiteware.
In this regard, this essay aims to examine general characteristics of traditional Korean copper-red ware by means of analysis of chemical properties of bodies, glazes, and pigments and microstructure of four pieces of Goryeo copper-red celadon, two pieces of Joseon copper-red whiteware, three pieces of Chinese Jun ware, three reproductions of copper-red ware, and seven pieces of copper-red modern whiteware, totaling 19 pieces, in order to compare and investigate connections and differences of raw materials and agents of the pigment, composition of glaze, and forming conditions of raw materials used for Chinese Jun ware and reproduction of copper-red ware.
The results of the study have shown that traditional Korean copper-red ware was colored with pigments using pure copper, while Chinese Jun ware was made using bronze, a copper-tin alloy or an agent mixing glaze with tin to diffuse copper pigment evenly, instead of pure copper pigment. Meanwhile, it was found that in the case of materials of copper-red modern whiteware, other than copper and tin, modern pigments such as zircon, cadmium, selenium, and barium as an agent were added for the purpose of easier coloring. In particular, as a factor to determine color tone of the copper pigment, composition, forming conditions, and cooling speed were found to have a close connection, along with the copper pigment and the agent.
Through the observation of the microstructure of copper-red ware glaze it can be known that traditional Korean copper-red ware is consisted of small and large crystallizations and there is a scarlet red layer. In particular, the red layer in the sherds of the G-3 Goryeo copper-red celadon which is adorned with copper and the J-2 Joseon copper-red whiteware are extremely widely dispersed, showing a large characteristic in comparison to other copper adornment techniques.
Chinese Jun ware glaze has a remarkable lower melting fusion temperature in comparison to traditional Korean copper-red ware glaze, so it is much thicker the surface of the glazing, but is comparatively cleaner. In particular, among Jun wares the stoneware sherds of sample number CJ-3 has the characteristic that the supersaturated SiO2 element in the glazing becomes crystallized into cristobalite during firing in high temperatures.
The copper-red wares produced today have varied color pigment materials and dispersing agent, color-forming supplements and double glaze coating method through which varied looks can be observed which could not be observed in traditional Korean and Chinese Jun wares. In particular, sample number ML-2 produced by Lee, Se-yong shows a piece of work formed by copper pigment in the whiteware sherds, resulting in comparatively large copper particles in the red layer. However the process of the copper pigment becoming volatile and forming into particles in the red layer which are extremely small is a large characteristic.
In conclusion, traditional Korean copper-red ware evinced a color-forming principle which enabled it to have very creative and unique red color without having used dispersing agent or color-forming supplement that is normally used in Chinese Jun wares or modern copper-red wares; thereby the paper found how original and unique the traditional Korean copper-red ware's color-forming technique was.