description Onggi Pottery Overview
Onggi is a Korean pottery tradition encompassing earthenware vessels that may be unglazed, slipped, or coated with a breathable glaze. Large jars are used for storing and fermenting foods such as kimchi, doenjang, ganjang, and gochujang, often outdoors on a raised platform called a jangdokdae. Their clay bodies and firing methods can permit limited gas exchange, making the vessels particularly suited to long fermentation.
insights Ranking position
Onggi Pottery ranks #76 of 295 in the Pottery ranking, behind Tamba Ware, ahead of Keith Murray (Wedgwood).
help Onggi Pottery FAQ
Why can onggi jars ferment kimchi without being completely open?
Traditional onggi clay contains microscopic pores that permit limited gas exchange while the vessel holds its contents. This breathable structure is useful for fermenting kimchi, doenjang, ganjang, and gochujang.
What is the outdoor platform holding Korean onggi jars called?
It is called a jangdokdae, a raised area where fermentation and storage jars receive sun and air. Korean households traditionally arrange onggi containing sauces, pastes, and kimchi on this platform.
Are all onggi jars glazed?
No, the onggi tradition includes unglazed, slipped, and glazed earthenware. Large fermentation jars often have a dark brown surface produced by an iron-rich glaze and firing conditions.
How is onggi different from Korean celadon or porcelain?
Onggi is practical earthenware designed largely for storage, transport, and fermentation. Goryeo celadon and Joseon white porcelain were fired and finished differently and often served more formal, artistic, or elite household roles.
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