Reviving the Charm of Moon Jars Through Traditional Wood Kilns

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White porcelain moon jars, known for their generous and graceful aura reminiscent of a full moon, draw their charm from their rough and unpolished appearance. It is said that this subtle beauty is brought to life only through the painstaking process of firing in a traditional wood-burning kiln.

Reporter Lee Ju-sang visited the site where moon jars are being fired.

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[Lee Yong-soon Moon Jar Exhibition: One Hundred Beauties of White Porcelain / Through September 12 / Paik Hae Young Gallery]

Named white porcelain moon jars because they resemble a round full moon.

Their generous posture and warm ambiance come from their simplicity, free of any decoration or coloring.

Yet, unlike a full moon, moon jars are not perfectly circular.

Nor are they pure white, despite being white porcelain.

Black specks can even be found here and there on the surface.

This round-yet-not-so-round shape and imperfectly smooth surface are the results of using a traditional wood-burning kiln.

The process of firing them in a 30-meter-long kiln using pine firewood creates the subtle and profound charm of the moon jars.

[Lee Yong-soon / Artist: We stoke the fire in the main kiln mouth for about 12 to 13 hours, and as the fire moves up chamber by chamber, we burn it for another 2 to 3 hours per chamber, totaling about 22 to 24 hours.]

When the flames turn white, the temperature inside the kiln exceeds 1,200°C (2192°F).

At this stage, the glaze applied to the exterior melts, and the size of the ceramics shrinks by nearly 20%.

[Lee Yong-soon / Artist: Because areas exposed to intense heat shrink more while weaker areas shrink less, the ceramic's shape inevitably ends up slightly asymmetric.]

After completing 24 hours of wood firing, the pieces must go through a cooling period of about three days.

Although it is an arduous process, wood-burning kilns simply cannot be abandoned.

[Lee Yong-soon / Artist: The reason we must use a wood kiln is because pine ash settles on the piece, melting together with the glaze to create a natural softness.]

Produced for only about 150 years starting from the late 17th century before their tradition was cut short, white porcelain moon jars continue to warm the hearts of modern ceramists.

(Video Editing: Jung Sung-hoon, VJ: Oh Se-gwan)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.