근대기 한불(韓佛)의 도자교류

Abstract

The Korean ceramic industry of the late 19th century, which was the transitional period into Korean modern era, showed the new aspects emerged after the Korea-France commercial treaty of 1886. Therefore, those changes shown in the Korean ceramic production, system, and market demand were part of the result of new awakening and acceptance of the changes in the period. However, those changes which continued for about 10 years didn't lead to successful results. The purpose of this paper is to concentrate on why the formation of Korean modern ceramic arts could be traced back to the cultural contact with France and why the changes resulted from the cultural exchange were brought to a stop in spite of the fact that the progressive perspective on crafts at that time was accord with the direction of this changes. The French ceramics imported into Korea in the early period after Korea-France diplomatic relationships were the start of the direct influence on the Korean ceramic arts, and then, more various factors such as establishment of technical schools for skill exchange, studies into Korean ceramic history as part of the studies of Extrême Orient in Europe in the 19th century and the growing interest in collecting exotic things affected Korean ceramic culture. Besides, the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle, in which Korea had a chance to participate with the help of France, was the decisive opportunity to let the Western world know Korean ceramics. Especially, the spread of Japonism that attracted Europe in the transitional period provided a great opportunity for Korean cultural properties to be introduced to the whole region of Europe. Therefore the Korean ceramic relics from Korean modern period which many Frenchmen from various social backgrounds donated to Musée Guimet, Musée national de la céramique, Musée des arts et métiers etc are very reliable research materials and bases for understanding the Korean ceramic production and the cultural exchange between Korea and France in the period. The development process of the ceramic cultural exchange between Korea and France can be properly understood from the viewpoint the radical reformists (called Gaehawpa in Korean) had on ceramics. The radical reformists who advocated the encouragement of crafts industry for the purpose of industrialization of Korea suggested the possibility that Korea could be changed through the diplomatic relationships between Korea and France. However, King Gojong’s Gwangmu reforms which were carried out in Gwangmu era by the principle of Gubonshincham roughly meaning that Korea must accept the new without losing old good values or tradition ended in failure, causing abnormal government restructure. For example, Gungnaebu in charge of affairs related to the royal household became a too much empowered government department with enormous financial resources. This financial imbalance which was heavily weighted in favor of Gungnaebu caused lack of finance for introducing new modernized culture and systems and consequently hindered the investment and development in commerce and industry that were foundations of modernization. So under this situation, when the Korean ceramic works displayed at the Paris Universal Exposition had very bad reviews, France helped Korea in establishing an arts and crafts school in order to reform the whole range of Korean crafts and ceramic industry, but this effort foundered as a result of lack of finance. However, the Korean Empire, Daehan Jeguk turned away from the isolationism and tried to introduce advanced systems of ceramic production and education, and regarded ceramic industry that was in the decline after buwon had been privatized as a means of making Korea rich and powerful and accordingly, tried to have cultural relations mainly with France. These are the reasons why we need to reconsider Korean modern ceramics.