Image Formation and Transformation of White Porcelain during the Joseon Dynasty in the 15th and 16th Centuries

White porcelain, characterized by its purity and austerity, is often understood as a vessel symbolizing integrity. The widespread consumption of white porcelain during the Joseon Dynasty is closely related to the Neo-Confucian social climate that emphasized frugality. Discourses surrounding white porcelain in Neo-Confucian thought are crucial to understanding how its image was perceived by the consumers of the time. However, focusing solely on the ideals of purity and frugality—values upheld by the literati—limits a comprehensive grasp of their perceptions of white porcelain. In the early Joseon period, white porcelain was selected as royal ware. According to the Gyeongguk Daejeon (經國大典) and its annotated version, Gyeongguk Daejeon Juhae(經國大典註解), both blue and white porcelain and white porcelain were designated as vessels for the king. This established the image of white porcelain as royal ware, spurring increased demand for it among the royal family and prominent literati families. White porcelain became a medium for displaying social status and power. As demand for white porcelain grew, the royal family and literati projected Neo-Confucian virtues onto it. The crystal-clear nature of white porcelain was likened to the character of an exemplary gentleman. Among the motifs, the Sehansamu(歲寒三友, “Three Friends of Winter”) was the most common design found on 15th−16th century blue and white porcelain. The literati used these motifs to express the virtues of moral discipline, while the royal family emphasized loyalty through similar patterns. Thus, white porcelain, initially symbolized as royal ware, underwent a transformation into a medium embodying Neo-Confucian values. However, even in this transformed image, the focus was less on purity and frugality and more on projecting the virtues of loyalty demanded by the king from his officials, and the moral steadfastness and integrity pursued by the literati.