Onggi is a bowl made of soil, which is made into a specific shape, dried, and then baked. It is largely divided into earthenware that is baked without glazing at a low temperature of 800-900℃, and outland bowls that are glazed and baked at a high temperature of 1200℃. During the Joseon Dynasty, Onggijang (甕 匠) was divided into a light factory belonging to the central government office, an external 工匠 belonging to a provincial government office, and a president (私匠) that was scattered in various regions without affiliation.
The history of Korean Onggi began early in the prehistoric era, but specific details about Onggijang can be seen in detail centering on the Joseon Dynasty. Since the early Joseon Dynasty, the demand for Onggi has been high, so Onggi has been produced all over the country. The 園 of 濟志, written in the 18th century, introduces a five-day market for Onggi, and it is highly likely that most of the Onggi traded was produced near the market. The Gwanseo region accounted for 94 out of a total of 324 markets, followed by Honam and Yeongnam regions. This trend seems to have continued until the Japanese colonial era.
In the late Joseon Dynasty Silhak scholar Seo Yoo-gu (1764-1845)'s "榘 Economy Paper" and "贍 志", the largest and most commonly used pottery is called pottery, and it is said that there are kilns all over the forested areas as a bowl mainly used to contain alcohol, soy sauce, or store kimchi. As for the method of making it, applying a glaze of evening wine on white soil and reproducing it in a kiln was called Ojaong (烏瓷甕) in the south, and it was described that there are dungduri, bathangi, and Gonaki, depending on the size and purpose, and Oja (烏瓷) is the best. When making Onggi, the number of people working in the kiln consisted of two or three folding sites, two residential sites, two jilters, and one or two later workers. The folding site made a bowl, the Geoyeojang worked to dry the bowl, add lye (乾燥) and put in the pattern (施釉). The clay required for Onggi production was brought from Yeongdong and Gangdong villages in Yeongdong-ri and Yeongpoong villages in Yeongbok-ri and used. It is said that various types of living containers are usually produced in one kiln, including water jars of various sizes, Dongwoo, low-bakji, Ogari, Ongsa-gu, Tugari, Byeongjang, Jungjuji, Dongwoo egg bottle, Dongwoo egg bottle, and Yaktang.
Meanwhile, the onggi used by the central government office and the royal family were produced by the Gyeongjeon factory. According to the 『Gyeongguk Daejeon』, a total of 312 people were subordinated with 104 onggijangs and two assistants under each onggijang. The onggijangs belonging to the government office were assigned to each department, with 13 onggi (工曺), 10 onggi (奉尙), 10 ongwon (尙衣), 10 ongwon (資), 8 ongwon (nae 贍), 8 ongwon (nae 司導), 8 ongwon-si (nae 賓), 8 ongwon-si (昭格署), 4 ongwon-seo (掌苑署) 4 ongwon-si (司醞署), 4 ongwon-seo (盈庫), 8 ongwon-seo (司圃署), 10 ongwon-seo (養), and 2 ongwon-go (庫 典). Judging from the number of onggijangs, it seems that there was not little demand for onggi.
Foreign factories affiliated with the province were responsible for producing goods needed by local governments. In the Annals of King Sejong's 實錄 and Jiriji, there is a record of referring to the kiln for grilling "黃瓮" in three places, Chogye-gun (草 郡) and Jinju-mok (晉 牧), and in the outer 匠條 of the Gyeongguk Daejeon, there was a Hwang Ongjang (黃瓮匠) in Imju (工典) in Chungcheong Province. The records do not specify the local Onggijang, but the activities of the Onggijang can be guessed through the Annals of King Sejong, which said that there are 185 pottery makers nationwide. The Onggijangs had no choice but to gather around the area where materials such as soil and firewood could be obtained, and they would have increased the efficiency of production by forming a village through collaboration with a pottery-baking site.
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