Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 BC – 935 AD). The city has been often referred to as "the museum without walls". There was something very special there, one feels the history, a very peaceful place in modern Korea, without the crazy busy vibe of Seoul. Here I would like to show you a few images from the city, and tell you a bit about the Silla Pottery. My grandmother is a ceramic sculptor, so I always had a connection to ceramics.
What I love about the traditional Korean pottery is the fact that is a result of water, earth, human touch & fire.
This is the traditional Silla pottery, a very old tradition, which is kept alive.
Here we see the traditional pottery tunnel kiln with fire. The temperature has to be very high at 1000°. The pottery was used not only for daily life objects but also for sculptures and roof tiles. All the houses, palaces, and Buddhist temples had tiled roofs, a sign of wealth. Decorated roof tiles become widespread around AD 688. Around that time the small Korean kingdom of Silla was supported by China and conquered two other Korean kingdoms.
The traditional Silla pottery techniques were spread to Japan in the 5th century. The high-fired stoneware pottery began to be imported from Kaya and Silla. Soon after the stoneware technologies such as the tunnel kiln and potter's wheel also made their way from Korea to Japan. The result was the Japanise style Suheki, or Sue pottery.
On the path to modernisation, globalisation, we shall develope, but also preserve all beautiful old traditions. They are the roots, they have stories to tell, wisdom to teach us, history to remember.
I hope you liked my post.
All images are mine. Please do not use them without asking. Thank you:)
Love & light
Bella
[//]:# (!steemitworldmap 35.840786 lat 129.209497 long SOUTH KOREA impressions #5 Kyongju (Gyeongju) & Silla Pottery d3scr)