fat, kärl, Wooden dish

This wooden dish has flared sides that curve in the lowest section, above a foot. The base inside the footrim is flat, but has a deep line turned along the footrim. The outer edge of the rim of the dish was trimmed vertically. 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.

문화콘텐츠닷컴. 풍속화 콘텐츠. 목기깍기. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.culturecontent.com/content/contentView.do?search_div_id=CP_THE006&cp_code=cp0235&index_id=cp02351062&content_id=cp023507950001&search_left_menu=3. [Accessed 30 July 2018].
성춘경. 한국민족문화대백과사전 . 2000. 목기장(木器匠). [ONLINE] Available at: http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/SearchNavi?keyword=목기장&ridx=0&tot=1. [Accessed 30 July 2018].