When I first went to Jejudo, the beautiful island off the southern coast of Korea, more than thirty years ago, onggi had died out.  It had been more than twenty years and onggi was no longer being produced on Jejudo.  When I saw the old pieces I was amazed and had to have one.  Their surface and form were quite different than the other onggi I had seen on the mainland. 

Fewer than ten years ago, some young potters wanted to bring onggi back to the island.  They found one of the old potters built a new kiln in the old way with volcanic rock and brought onggi back to the island.    

These photos are from my visit to that new kiln and the workers who returned onggi to Jejudo.

Onggi made in Jeju island has a different look than onggi made anywhere else in Korea.    Using the slab method, the slabs are beaten rather than flopped perhaps giving them more strength.  Like other onggi potters in Korea, Jeju artists use coils for finishing details. 

The primary jar is the water jar that is not carried on ones head but on ones back in a basket sling.  Most of the work is unglazed and fired in a wood kiln made of volcanic rock.   There is quite a bit of residual salt and fly ash from the wood that accounts for a natural glaze and flashing. 

These photos were taken 2005 and I don’t have a complete throwing cycle to show you.

Add Jejudo to your onggi tour for a more complete onggi experience.

Korean Onggi