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This Korai ware became so very valuable in Japan, that graves were opened in Korea to obtain a supply. This became known abroad and led to the impression that great riches were burried in the Korean Royal Tombs, so that in 1867 an expedition left Shanghai under a German-American, Ernest Oppert, for the purpose of [[strikethrough]] writing [[/strikethrough]] robbing the Korean Royal Tombs. Oppert [[strikethrough]] wrote a [[/strikethrough]] published a book in New York, in 1880, entitled "^[[A]] Forbidden Land", giving an account of his expedition. [[strikethrough]] n [[/strikethrough]] Finding that this ware was considered so very precious that foreigners were willing to come to Korea with armed vessels to rob the graves and take it ^[[ ]] away, the Korean Governemt very wisely decided to remove these relics from the Royal tombs and preserve them. This was done to a certain extent, though I am assured that the find was not great as it was found most of the tombs had already been opened.

In 1884 after a bloody emeute in Seoul, I had the good fortune to save the life of a prince who was the man of most influence in Korea next to the King. For this it was understood I would receive a costly gift. I received high decoration and a little gray green bowl, carefully wrapped and encased in a lacquered box. I thought it must be a joke until informed by the then U.S.Minister that it was of this priceless Korai ware. That piece is now in the Smithsonian museum and is described in Mr.Hough's pamphlet above cited.

Just prior to this I had had the opportunity of buying a number of pots of this ware for a mere nominal sum. I did not know that they were valuable and missed my chance. They were bought and finally sent to Tiffany & Co. N.Y.where I went in 1893 [[strikethrough]] anxious [[/strikethrough]] ^[[willing]] to pay $500 gold, for a good specimen. They had disappeared.