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Korea, contain materials for the history of art in the peninsula, may prove that porcelain was invented by Korean potters.

"Finer specimens of Korean pottery are to be found in Japanese museums and in various collections.  Japanese wares seem to owe their excellence to Korean potters."  (W.E. Griffis.  The Origin of Japanese Art.  Scribner's Monthly, Dec. 1882).

"The glazed wares of the Songdo potteries..are seemingly protoporcelain, judging from the paste, which is evidently kaolinic.  This variety of heavy celadon, or olive-colored ware, has been dug up from graves in Kiungju or Kiou chiu, the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Scilla, which existed through one thousand years previous to 1000 A.D.

"Korean Pe-chun (sky color) ware (celadon, H.N.A.) was much esteemed by the Chinese, and there is a Chinese poem dating from the latter part of the Sung, or beginning of the Ming dynasty, setting forth the impossibility of imitating the pe-chun of Korean pottery.

"The Korean potter's wheel consists of a circular table from 2 to 3 feet in diameter and 4 to 6 inches thick, made of heavy wood so as to aid in giving impetus to it when revolving. .. This arrangement is sunken into a depression in the ground, and revolves easily by means of small wheels working on a track underneath, the table being pivoted in the centre.  The wheel is operated directly by the foot, without the aid of a treadle of any kind.  The potter sits squatting in front of the wheel, his bench or seat on a level with it, the space being left be-

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tween his seat and the wheel to facilitate his movements.  With his left foot underneath him he extends his right foot and strikes the side of the wheel with the bare sole of the foot, causing it to revolve."

So much for Mr. Hough's monograph, which is well worth reading.

History records presents of fine manufactures made by Korean envoys to the Japanese Government when such things were plenty in Korea and rare in Japan.  These records date back to the beginning of the Christian era.  Griffis in his Hermit Nation p. 2 says:--"The first notice of Corea in western books or writings occurs in the works of Khoradadbeh, an Arab geographer of the ninth century in his book on Roads and Provinces.  He is thus quoted by Richthofen in his work on China (p. 575, note).

"What lies on the other side of China is unknown land.  But high mountains rise up densely across for Kantu.  Those lie over in the land of Sila (Ancient Korea, H.N.A.) which is rich in gold.  Musselmans who visit this country often allow themselves, through the advantages of the same, to be induced to settle here.  They export from thence ginseng, deerhorn, aloes, camphor, nails, saddles, porcelain, satin, zimmit (cinnamon?) and galanga (ginger?)."

Ibid p. I46. "When retiring from Chosen in 1597, the daimio and general, Nabeshima, requited himself for the possible loss of further military glory, by bringing over and settling in Satsuma a colony of Corean potters.  He builded better than he knew, for in founding these industries in his own domain, he became the prime author

Transcription Notes:
- Fixed the spelling for "Country" - Removed the asterisk (*) at the end of page 3