kärl, fat, träfat, plate, dish, vessel

This wooden dish has flared, straight sides and a foot. The base within the footrim is flat. This dish was turned on a lathe from one piece of wood. The turning marks remain visible. Two incised rings on the interior of the dish – one where the base meets the sides, and one at the centre – add a decorative element to the otherwise plain dish. An inscription or sign is written in black on the base of the dish. The surface was treated with a surface coating, possibly lacquer.

Wood-turning is a traditional craft in Korea and craftspeople have been known for being especially skilful at turning wood, producing a large variety of round-shaped objects for ritual or everyday use such as dishes, bowls, trays, and small round tables (Korean: soban). To produce wooden wares, the wood was first cut and roughly shaped (Korean: chogari). After drying, the piece of wood was then worked into its final shape (Korean: jaegari). Wooden wares were typically finished with a surface coating of lacquer. Simple decorations of incised lines, along with the visible turning or tool marks and the natural pattern of the wood grain, give these objects a special aesthetic appeal.