Porcelain Maker

Sagijang refers to a ceramic craftsman designated as a holder of intangible heritage for possessing highly skilled techniques or an outstanding reputation among porcelain artisans. Lee Jong-seong (b. 1958), who lives in Eomjeong-myeon, Chungju, entered the world of traditional baekja (white porcelain) ceramics in 1974 and is a master skilled not only in the techniques of making baekja and celadon but also in the outstanding technique of tugak, or openwork carving. Lee Jong-seong began his apprenticeship in 1974, at the age of nineteen, at Seonam Ceramics in Incheon, and has since focused his work on carrying on baekja techniques. After becoming a disciple of the late An Dong-o (1919–1989), a holder of Gyeonggi Province intangible cultural heritage, he mastered tugak, said to be the most demanding of techniques, and produced outstanding openwork pieces. He later learned the method of building traditional kilns from Yun Deok-jung, a fellow disciple of An Dong-o, and has continued the tradition of firing pottery by the traditional method. His son-in-law Choi Jeong-ho became his apprentice in 2001, and his daughter Lee Woo-jin in 2010, carrying on the traditional ceramic craft as a family trade. Sagijang Lee Jong-seong was trained in, and can produce work using, the shaping techniques of baekja — wheel-throwing, slab-building, slip-casting and modelling — and is thoroughly versed in the traditional decorative techniques of ceramics, including incised and relief carving, inlay, double openwork and sgraffito. He is also skilled in painting and in the formulation of clay bodies and glazes, and can build kilns himself, constructing not only gas kilns but also old-style traditional kilns. The process of making the ware begins with levigating and kneading the baekja clay to remove air. It is then shaped and finished on the wheel and dried; at this stage openwork and carving are carried out. After an initial biscuit firing, the piece is painted with cobalt-blue designs, then fired again in the kiln, after which it is cooled to complete the process. The items he is able to produce include baekja, celadon and buncheong ware. Sagijang Lee Jong-seong possesses a wide range of baekja techniques and, through traditional wheel-shaping methods and traditional decorative techniques, carries on the tradition while working to advance the art of traditional ceramics.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Chungju, Chungbuk

Designation

Provincial Intangible Heritage · 시도무형유산