Goryeo Celadon and the Sanggam Technique고려청자와 상감기법

Celadon is a ceramic glazed in soft jade-green, and during Korea's Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) it reached a level so refined that even Chinese connoisseurs — heirs to the world's greatest ceramic tradition — praised its color as the finest anywhere. What made Goryeo celadon truly distinctive appeared in the mid-12th century: the sanggam inlay technique. Potters carved or stamped designs into the clay, filled the grooves with white or black slip, then glazed and fired the piece, so that cranes, clouds, willows, and lotus flowers seem to float beneath the translucent green surface. Inlaid decoration of this kind was uncommon in China and became the signature of a distinctly Korean aesthetic. The industry's heart was Gangjin, on the far southwestern coast, where good clay, abundant firewood, and a natural port for shipping to the capital supported centuries of production — more than 180 kiln sites have been identified there, active from roughly the 9th to the 14th century. Excavations at Sadang-ri from 1964 to 1977 uncovered over 100,000 celadon fragments and kiln structures. Today the masterpieces, several designated National Treasures, fill the celadon rooms of the National Museum of Korea, while Gangjin celebrates its heritage with a celadon festival first held in 1973, where you can try the wheel and the inlay yourself.