In previous studies, the Baekje Plates, along with the New Potteries of the Sabi Period of Baekje, have been used as a material to understand the relationship with Goguryeo. However, the lack of adequate collection of materials on the Baekje Plates caused a hindrance to the progress of basic research. Therefore, I have collected materials of the Baekje Plates; based on this, examined the changes in the Baekje Plates by classifying the manufacturing techniques and types; then assumed the background of the creation of the Plate and the character of its use in Baekje.
The official name of the Plate is not yet defined yet, but it is being called the‘Plate’,‘Plate-Shaped Pottery’or‘Bowl’which is depending on the researcher, and those with foot are being called the ‘mounted plate’, ‘mounted dish’, etc. Hence, I gave a collective name the ‘Plate’ that has no difference in meaning and form from the plate, and named the Plate with foot at the bottom as ‘Mounted Plate’.
The technique of manufacturing Plate has been presumed to have been crafted in the same way because it resembles mounted bowl with lid. However, after I have examined and crafted Plates, beating patterns were not found on the outside of Plates, and traces of tools left at the time of throwing were found in some Plates. In addition, there are some Plates that do not need to be covered because of their length and very shallow depth. Therefore, the plate was initially crafted using clay bands and clay tablets on a pottery wheel rather than being crafted with the throwing technique using a lump, and over time, it was crafted using a throwing technique with very carefully selected clay.
Next, I analyzed the properties of the Plates and found out that the body, presence of foot, and depth were properties showing temporal characteristics; classified the Plates into six types by combining the corresponding properties; set four stages by examining materials that can identify the accompanying relationship and causal relationship.
Stage I: The stage in which the Plate appeared, and only the ‘가1 -type’, a footless Plate (rounded-bottom and flat bottom) with a depth of type I made of fine-grained and coarse-grained bodies, is identified. It is presumed that the ‘가1-type’ appeared around the time of the establishment of the Hanseong Period of Baekje, and was manufactured until the mid- to late fifth century when Baekje moved to Woongjin.
Stage II: As with the Stage I, plates, which belong to the ‘가1-type’, made of coarse-grained and medium-grained bodies continued to be manufactured. Unlike the Stage I, plates with foot (B-type) are newly identified, and plates with a depth of type II that are lower than those with a depth of type I were also manufactured. In other words, this is the stage where the ‘가1-type’ continues and the new ‘가2-type’ and ‘나1-type’ types are newly introduced, and they are presumed to have been manufactured from the mid-fifth century to the early sixth century when the capital was relocated to Sabi.
Stage III: The ‘가1-type’ gradually disappeared, and as the ‘가2-type’ and ‘나1-type’ types continued, a new ‘가3-type’ appeared. At this time, the newly introduced ‘가3-type’ is a plate made using fine-grained bodies, unlike the previous one. In other words, this stage is the beginning of the manufacture of ‘가3-type’ plates using a new fine-grained body, and it is presumed to have been used from the first half of the sixth century to the middle of the seventh century when Baekje was destroyed. Except for the ‘가1-type’, all other types continued.
Stage IV: As the existing ‘가2-type’, ‘가3-type’, and ‘나1-type’ continued, and new ‘가4-type’ and ‘나2-type’, which are different from the previous ones, have appeared. A very carefully selected bodies was used for the ‘가4-type’ and ‘나2-type’ Plates, which were manufactured with the throwing technique, and the depth of the plates became lower. They are presumed to have been used at the beginning of seventh century until the mid-seventh century when Baekje was destoryed, based on the estimation of dates of the remains from which the Wuzhu coin and plates were excavated, and the chronological age of the accompanying artifacts.
In addition, to find out the background of the creation of the Plate, I compared them with plates from Goguryeo and plates from Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties in China, and examined cases of cups and stands that were different from the Plate but similar in form. The Baekje Plates are very similar in form to those found at Goguryeo remain in South Korea, and they are presumed to have been affected in some technical aspects. However, there are differences between each other in the technique of firing, patterns, method of making foot, and use. The influence of Chinese porcelain or copperware flowing into Baekje can be seen on the Plates, but similarities between each other can be found in the form, shape of the foot, character and use.
Lastly, to understand the character of the Plates in Baekje, I compared them with earthenware that has common attributes with the Plates, and examined their use from the excavation context. As a result, it can be presumed that the Plates were used as ceremonial vessels related to special acts such as funeral ceremonies along with tableware for the daily life of the elite, and it is difficult to say that they were universally used in everyday life. In summary, I have learned that the Plates appeared as ceremonial vessels from the Hanseong Period of Baekje, and that such a process has undergone a change in from due to the encounters of various cultures.
This study is considered to have meaning in that it collected material on the Baekje Plates, and based on that, conducted a basic study of Plates. However, because of the limited number of Plates and the lack of material on the Yeongsangang River area, it is necessary to identify the aspect of the overall changes in the Baekje Plates according to the material to be added in the future.