Korean <i>Onggi</i> Potter

Abstract

Korea's <i>onggi</i> potters, producers of a class of domestic food jars used to prepare and store soy sauce, <i>kimch'i</i>, and other diet staples, work even yet in circumstances reminiscent of those prevailing during the Yi dynasty (1392-1910). Not only their repertoire of tools and techniques but the very conditions by which they live and organize themselves into work groups mirror those described in nineteenth century accounts. In this study, we consider the history of the <i>onggi</i> industry, exploring a link between the artisans and a community of religious dissenters driven into hiding nearly 200 years ago. We also discuss the extant ware forms and their practical uses and report on the state of the contemporary industry as indicated in field survey data collected at 11 workshops in six South Korean provinces. A bibliography of Korean, Japanese, and Western language sources on <i>onggi</i> accompanies the text.19