뉴스레터

The featured jabaegi was excavated from Ning’an (寧安縣), Heilongjiang Province (黑龍江省) of China, which was where Sanggyeong castle (上京城) used to be when the area was the capital of the ancient Korean kingdom Balhae. The term “jabaegi” refers to wide-lipped, round, and flat vessels. There are two types of Balhae earthenware: the Koguryo type mixed with less sand and fired at high temperatures to result in dark brown or grayish shades and the Mohe type mixed with more sand and fired at low temperatures to produce reddish or brownish tones. Gray plates, jars, or bottles tend to fall under the Koguryo type of earthenware and mostly have smooth surfaces from being shaped with a pottery wheel.

The featured jabaegi is a large gray-black dish with a mouth smoothly molded into the shape of clouds and honeysuckle. The well-balanced, symmetrical design of the mouth is combined with a slightly turned out lip, straight side, and flat bottom. The exquisite aesthetic touch to this earthenware testifies to how exceptional Balhae's manufacturing techniques were and how culturally sophisticated its nobility had been.

Reference: National Museum of Korea