Korean pottery reflects epochal changes at the time. While Goryeo Dynasty, marking the end of its five-century rule, gave its way to the rising power of Joseon , Korean ceramic wares also underwent a remarkable change- the Goryeo celadon slowly diminished, replaced by Buncheong ware and white porcelain, which dominated under the new dynasty.

While Goryeo celadon and Buncheong ware are made from the same clay, Buncheong, unlike its predecessor in Goryeo Dynasty, is coated with a white slip under the glaze. Therefore, the white tint on its surface comes from the slip, not from its gray clay. Decorative patterns are inlaid, stamped or incised in this slip. Sometimes, potters put the glaze upon the whole surface of the ware in a rapid and casual manner, leaving a rhythmic trace of the movement of the brush.




In early days of Joseon Dynasty, the silhouette and the patterns of Buncheong ware reflected the characteristics of Goryeo celadon, such as horn-shaped mouth and round-bellied body frequently decorated with the patterns of lotus blossom. However, the ware's silhouette got bolder, more powerfully vital with unrestrained freedom. Its size grew larger, and its shape  got more robust rather than delicate, with more emphasis on its utilitarian functions. In addition, the patterns of lotus flowers, which had been regarded as holy by the people of Goryeo for not losing its grace while blooming in the mud, got replaced with those of fish and peony blossom, which were respectively regarded as a symbol of fertility and prosperity at that time. The artisans of Joseon expressed those symbols in a humorous and abstract way.