Off the beaten path in the Kita-ku district in northern Kyoto sits a veritable jewel, the charming Koryo Museum of Art, which houses a collection of Korean traditional arts. Koryo is unique in Japan for its more than 20-year mission of exhibiting traditional Korean artwork.
Currently on display at the museum is a special exhibit of 100 pieces of decorative art from the Goryeo (918-1392) and Joseon (1392-1910) dynasties. Titled "The Dazzling World of Korean Craftsmanship: Inlaid Lacquer Ware and Celadon Ware," the exhibit, which is showing till June 28, is a tour de force of exquisitely crafted objects.
The Goryeo Dynasty is considered the golden age of ceramics in the history of Korea, when the celadon ware produced for the aristocracy was elevated to an art form. Buddhism flourished during this period, and Buddhist temples and members of the royal court vied in their patronage of the arts. The ceramic wares of the Goryeo Dynasty court give a wonderful sense of the life they lived.