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Description of some "Korai" or Korean pottery, in the Collection of Horace N. Allen, U.S. Minister, Korea.

The present dynasty of Korea has reigned for 505 years. During this time the potter's art for which the former dynasty of Korai was noted, has fallen into disuse. I will quote from an excellent illustrated monograph by Mr. Walter Hough of the Smithsonian National Museum. It was published in 1893, hence a slight difference in the date. 

"Korea, now known to the Koreans as Chosun, was formerly called by them Korai. The Kingdom of Korai ceased to exist just five hundred years ago; during its existence the potters art flourished. The best ware was made at the city of Songdo, the ancient (Korai) capital. After the foundation of the Kingdom of Chosen, the people of [[strikethrough]] of Songde were for a long time bitter enemies [[/strikethrough]] Seoul, the new capital, and the people of Songdo were for a long time bitter enemies during the civil war about the year 1400. From this cause the manufacture of pottery at Songdo declined until the Japanese invasion of 1597, when the work ended on the transplantation of the potters to Japan, and may be said to never have been resumed at that city.----.

"[[strikethrough]] Mainly [[/strikethrough]] the source of these wares are the tombs, in which it was customary from time immemorial to place pottery for the use of the ancestral spirits. While the better class of ware was not generally buried (I think this a mistake, as only the best seems to have been so used. H.N.A) it is probably that the tombs of the kings, which date back over three thousand years (Soh) and are well known in Korea, contain materials for the history of art in the peninsula, and may prove that porcelain was invented by Korean potters.