Celadon (청자) is a family of transparent, crackle glazes, produced in a wide variety of colors, generally used on porcelain or white stoneware clay bodies. The popularity and impact of these glazes is such that pottery pieces decorated with celadon glazes can also be known as "celadons".
Celadon glazes can be produced in a variety of colors, including whites, greys, blues and yellows, depending on the thickness of the applied glaze and the type of clay to which it is applied. However, the most famous celadons range in color from a very pale green crackle to deep intense greens, often meant to mimic the green shades of jade. Color is produced by iron oxide in the glaze recipe or clay body. Celadons are usually fired in a reducing atmosphere within a fuel driven kiln. As with most glazes, crazing (a glaze defect) can occur in the glaze and, if the characteristic is desirable, it is referred to as crackle glaze.
Traditional Korean celadons are decorated by overlaying glaze on contrasting clay bodies. With inlaid designs, small pieces of colored clay are inlaid in the clay used to produce the ware. Carved or slip-carved designs require layer[s] of a different colored clay adhered to the base clay of the piece. The layers are then carved away to reveal varying colors. Korean celadonware, usually a pale green-blue in color, developed, flourished, and was refined during the 10th and 11th centuries. Both the Mongol in the 13th century and the Japanese in the 16th centuries dealt blows to the craft. With the Japanese invasion, many potters were abducted to produce porcelains in Japan.
The term celadon for the pottery's pale jade-green glaze was first applied by European connoisseurs to the wares when celadon first appeared in France in the 17th century. In Honoré d'Urfé's (1567–1625) French romance, L'Astrée (1627), one of the shepherds was named Celadon (after a character in Ovid's Metamorphoses), and the refined simplicity of Arcadia was applied to the ceramics.
[edit] Celadon in Korea
Koreans take pride in the production of celadon pottery, and wares dating to the Silla dynasty can be seen in museums throughout South Korea. Celadon is especially prized in Gangjin county, Jeollanam-do, and visitors can participate in the celadon-making process in Daegu-myeon, Gangjin county. Likewise, one can attend the annual Celadon Culture Festival (청자문화제) in Daegu-myeon, held each October.
To get to Daegu-myeon, take a bus to Gangjin Bus Terminal, and purchase a ticket for a bus headed toward Maryang, which departs from Gate 13.
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