뉴스레터

It is widely known that a lot of Korean potters were abducted to Japan during the Imjin and Jeongyu Wars. In 2008, I accompanied Chairman Hwang Jeong Deuk (Society for Jinhae-Woongcheon Cultural Research) to a field trip to Kyushu, Japan, and learned that Mikawachi Porcelain is a very important part in the art history of modern Japanese and international porcelain. I also discovered that the potters were descendants of Korean potters who were abducted from Woongcheon, Korea to Japan by Hirado's lord, Matsuura Shigenobu, and the stories of these potters were very sad and moving.

The book,《The Imjin Wars and Captive Korean Potters at Mikawachi, Hirado》, is an account of Korean potters who were kidnapped and taken to Japan during the Imjin Wars, including how three families from Woongcheon came to settle down in Mikawachi and make world-class masterpieces, and how Mikawachi Porcelain has revived after its decline in modern times.

Korean potters' love and nostalgia for their motherland

Picture 1: Drawing of 11 Chinese children
and inscription of Chinese character
"Go (高)"

Mikawachi Porcelain was used in imperial courts in Japan, and exported to various parts of the world through the East India Company. Masterpieces of Mikawachi Porcelain are owned not only by the Kyushu Ceramic Museum but also by the British Museum in London, the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, and the Museum of Folk Art in Leiden. Stewart Dick, who was an expert in Oriental porcelain, said in 1904 that Mikawachi blue and white porcelain (靑華白磁) is "the best porcelain in Japan", and Karakoe (唐子繪) was the best among various kinds of blue and white porcelain. Karakoe means "drawings of Chinese children", and it portraits a group of Chinese children playing peacefully with butterflies under pine trees. Chinese character, "Go (高)", is inscribed upside down, under the upper rim of Karakoe porcelain (see Picture 1). Why did Korean potters draw Chinese children? It seems that the drawings reflect their love and nostalgia for their homeland and the loved ones they had to leave behind. I was moved by their desperate love for the country and their life stories.

Karakoe porcelain with the inscription of "Go (高)"

In this research project, we focused on analyzing the Catalog of Hirado Porcelain (平戶窯沿革一覽) at the Matsuura Historical Museum for literature analysis. In addition, we carried out field research in Hirado and Mikawachi, gathering information about the remains of kilns, shrines, monuments and inscriptions.

Picture 2: Monument near Korean
potters' tombs and inscription
of Chinese character "Go (高)"

For this research project, we had field trips to Goraimachi (高麗町) in Hirado, which was the first town where Korean potters lived, Nakano kiln (中野窯), which was their first kiln, Shiinomine (椎ノ嶺), and Mikawachi where the three families of Korean potters from Woongcheon gathered together and prospered. We also visited a number of Korean potters' tombs and memorials, including a cemetery in Hirado where Koreans were buried, Goryeo monument (see Picture 2), Goryeosa (高麗祠) in Shiinomine, Kamayama Shrine (窯山神社) and Dojo Shrine (陶祖神社) in Mikawachi. Furthermore, we examined artifacts and documents at the Matsuura Historical Museum in Hirado, the Porcelain Culture Center in Mikawachi, and the Kyushu Ceramic Museum in Saga. We went on to find more about the descendants of the three families and their lives. I believe that these research findings will contribute greatly to enhancing Korea-Japan cultural and economic relations.

Picture 3: Karakoe bowl from late
Edo period (Arita kiln)

In October 2008, a piece of earthenware drew my attention at an exhibition in Hiroshima about Joseon's envoys to Japan. The sign in front of it said that it was a Karakoe bowl made at the Arita kiln where Lee Sampyeong, an abducted Korean potter later known as "the ancestor of pottery", worked (see Picture 3). I saw Chinese character "Go (高)" in the upper side of this Karakoe porcelain. But its drawing was more like a portrait, instead of children chasing butterflies under pine trees. Then, Karakoe porcelain with Chinese character "Go (高)" existed beyond Hirado, including Arita and other regions? What kind of other drawings are found other than the ones with children chasing butterflies under pine trees? It is still unclear when Krakoe porcelain first appeared, who made them for the first time, until when and where they existed, and what kind of drawings are there for them. I think further research is required in this field.

Yearning for field research following in the footsteps of abducted Joseon potters

The book provides a good field trip course for researchers studying the kidnapped Joseon potters. I hope that Korea and Japan will conduct a joint research project, following in the footsteps of Joseon potters in Japan.

I think that such field trips should be part of our genuine efforts to identify good lessons in the tragic history of Korea and Japan. Many Koreans get upset and criticize Japan when they see guard posts in pottery towns in Japan. It is understandable that they criticize Japan for abducting Korean potters, and it is also true that the abducted potters missed their homeland, Joseon. However, we should keep in mind that Japanese lords at that time also provided special support for the potters and protected pottery business because porcelain trade was one of their main sources of income. Maybe the guard posts were built to protect pottery techniques, instead of keeping a close watch on Korean potters. In addition, we should think about that fact that Joseon failed to protect and nurture experts during the wars. Carrying out research and finding the truth about historical events will eventually make a contribution to promoting peace and strengthen friendship between the two countries.