Bangjja
| Bangjja | |
 Bangjja ware used to serve various food at a restaurant inKaesong,North Korea. | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 방짜 / 유기 |
| Hanja | (none) / thâu khí |
| Revised Romanization | bangjja / yugi |
| McCune–Reischauer | pangtcha / yugi |
| IPA | [paŋ.t͈ɕa]/[ju.ɡi] |
Bangjja(Korean:방짜), also calledyugi(Korean:유기;Hanja:Thâu khí), is aKoreantype of hand-forgedbronzeware.A complete set ofbangjjaincludes dishes, bowls, spoons, and chopsticks. The main difference between Korean bronzeware orbangjjafrom other bronzeware is the alloy ratio between copper and tin. Thebangjjacontains much more tin than other bronzewares (Cu:Sn = 78:22 as volume) while the normal ratio of tin to copper is 1/9. Due to this compositional difference,bangjja(unlike other kinds of bronzeware) can be sterilized. For this reason, it has historically been used as tableware for the royal families of Korea.Bangjjais used for the traditional presentation of Korean royal court cuisine (surasang). In 1983, the government of South Korea officially designatedbangjjaaas anImportant Intangible Cultural Property.
History
[edit]Bangjjabronzeware reflects its deep historical value as well as traditional fashion of Korea. The history ofbangjjaoriginates from the Bronze Age and it was widely used to make a variety of tools and tableware. Ordos region's bronze culture related to Scythian Bronze Culture was spread and affected several regions including Korean territory. As the Bronze Age culture in Korea was influenced by Ordos region, where bronze culture was originated from the northern part of Siberia, Korean also produced ceremonial products such as ritual tools with bronze.
During the period of theGoryeo dynastywhen they frequently traded with China, royalties and nobles used thin bronze tableware made withbangjjatechnique.
In the period of Chosun dynasty, the country greatly supported mining and established many brassware plants in local territories. Although, people in this era generally used porcelains, upper-class people continued using bronzeware like Goryeo period. As time passed, even in the middle class, people started using bronzeware increasingly and it formed many markets across the country.
In the end of modern age, most of bronzeware in all households got ravished by Japan. With the liberation in 1945, bronzeware became widely used again, but soon after Korean War, when briquettes took place, people preferred stainless bowls to bronzeware because bronzeware gets easily discolored by briquettes gas.
In reversal, nowadays, through various chemical experiments,bangjjabronzeware is becoming famous and known for its O-157 sterilization function, anti pathogen, and detection of pesticides. Also its heat retention rate turned out to be higher than porcelains and stainless bowls.Bangjjais currently used for making instruments, tableware, and other various goods such as household supplies.
Characteristics
[edit]Whenbangjjabronzeware is made, a mass of alloy of copper and tin is heated with fire and gets hammered several times. The proportion of tin inbangjjabronzeware is very high compared to general bronze bowls.
In general, iron becomes more firm when it is quenched after being heated in fire over 600 degree. However,bangjjabronzeware becomes softer as it gets heated in fire. This is another mystery of brassware. Several people form a circle around the ingot and start hammering to make a form of plates. One special thing about the process is that they do not use ready-made mold machine, instead they repeat hammering and heating in fire as they are making the shape of bronzeware.
Today'sbangjja
[edit]Bangjjabronzeware produced by handed down traditional techniques till today are not bent or easily broken. Furthermore, with more usage, it becomes burnished without any discoloration. Recent reports about various experiments revealed thatbangjjabronzeware contains a sterilization function and detects pesticides.Bangjjabronzeware, now called "bowl of mystery" shows its great heat retention, which is far greater than other tableware made with other materials. It is also commonly used as a material for percussion instruments like the tam-tam, hobnail, and gong.
Several people form a well organized group to producebangjjaand it requires complicated and highly skilled techniques to be done, which makesbangjjamore distinctive.Bangjjaproducts are used not only as simple household supplies, but also as work of art, which depicts the traditional custom of Korea. The value ofbangjjabronzeware is highly respected.Bangjjaartisan Lee Bong Ju, who was appointed as Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1983, has his works sold at his companyNapcheong Bronzeware.Many of his works are now exhibited at Daegu Bangjja Bronzeware Museum.[1]
References
[edit]- ^엄, 민용; 남, 소라 (2017-11-26)."[서울 그집 '오래가게'] 납청놋전…최고의 합금술 '방짜'의 매력 폴폴".경향신문(in Korean).Retrieved2024-08-19.
- General information aboutbangjja
- 방짜(in Korean).empas/Encyclopædia Britannica.
- 유기 ( thâu khí )(in Korean).empas/Encyclopædia Britannica.
- 놋쇠(in Korean).empas dictionary/ 한국민족문화대백과.
- 놋그릇(in Korean).empas dictionary/ 한국민족문화대백과.
- 최은주 (2007-08-31).방짜유기를 아시나요?: 국내 최초 방짜유기를 테마로 한 전문박물관 탄생(in Korean). News Hankuk.Retrieved2007-11-25.
- "대한민국의 중요무형문화재 유기장".Cultural Heritage Administration.Archived fromthe originalon 2014-04-08.Retrieved2014-03-21.