Seoul, KOREA ¶ Feb 24, 2012 (Whowired) --An auction event offering a range of beautifully reproduced Goryeo celadon masterpieces and pottery takes place at Gangjin Celadon Museum every Saturday. This Saturday it marks its 192^nd auction, which had originally started back in 2008. However, if you travel a bit further back into the history, it was this small seaside town, Gangjin in South Jeolla, where a majority of celadon ceramics was made and exported during Goryeo Dynasty.

All the more interesting is the fact that the reproduction of 68th National Treasure in South Korea “Cheongja unhak sanggam mun maebyeong” will be the first on the list of this Saturday’s auction items. It is one of the most representative masterpieces of Goryeo celadon with the recurring pattern of flying cranes among clouds. This reproduced piece is normally traded at 1.2 million KRW and the auction will start from 600,000 KRW. It is produced from Gangjin State Klin along with other sake bottle, kettle, and Onggi. Those Goryeo celadon ceramics are made with the “Sanggam” or inlaid technique that black or white clay is used to fill out the engravings carved when the pottery is half dry. 

Second on the list comes the reproduction of 95^th National Treasure in South Korea, Goryeo celadon incense burner. This piece presents a delicately carved chrysanthemum upon which stands the incense burner. Its starting price will be 325,000 KRW, half of its listed price. There are also ceramic tea and coffee sets, and dishes designed for practical daily use, and priced from 10,000 to 30,000 KRW. The viewings and other small events start thirty minutes before the event. Shin Sang-shik, head of the Museum, said the Saturday Auction is gaining more popularity by the week and he will try to put better celadon ceramics up for auction that the visitors would love to take home with. The Saturday Auction makes notice of what will be on the auction for the coming weekend at the Gangjingun Municipal Government’s website.

Jeansun Kim (press@whowired.com)