HA 362/562 / EALC 331

From ancient to modern times, people living on the Korean peninsula have used ceramics as utensils for storage and cooking, as well as for protection, decoration, and ritual performances. In this class, students will examine how the availability of appropriate materials, knowledge of production/firing technologies, consumer needs and intercultural relations affected the production of different types of ceramics such as Koryŏ celadon, Punch’ŏng stoneware, ceramics for Japanese tea practice, blue-and-white porcelain, iron-painted ceramics, and Onggi ware (a specific type of earthenware made for the storage of Kimch’i and soybean paste).

A hands-on approach to the examination of ceramic objects in the collections of the Spencer Art Museum, an introductory tour in the art of pottery making at the KU Ceramics Studio and the Chamney Barns Complex will complement classroom studies. By the end of this class, students will have mastered methods of material culture analysis that can be applied to any other visual and material culture field for a deeper, multidimensional understanding of the history and culture of a society.