Consumption Patterns and Regional Characteristics of Punch'ŏng Ware Painted with Underglaze Iron-brown in the Early Chosŏn Period

The purpose of this study is to identify the specific patterns of consumption of punch'ŏng ware painted with underglaze iron-brown in the early Chosŏn period and to examine its characteristics within an integrated analytical framework. Based on accumulated archaeological excavation data, this study finds that punch'ŏng ware painted with underglaze iron-brown was produced and consumed primarily in the Ch'ungch'ŏng region, demonstrating a clear regional specificity. Although such wares were used across a range of settings—including royal palaces, government offices, and Buddhist temples—they were predominantly consumed in private contexts, indicating their strong character as utilitarian ceramics. Among the defining features of punch'ŏng ware painted with underglaze iron-brown, its regionality stands out most prominently. The formation of this regional specificity can be attributed to both historical and geographical factors: the establishment of the official kiln system (kwanyo) during the early Chosŏn period, and the strategic position of Ch'ungch'ŏng Province as a transportation and distribution hub due to its proximity to the capital. These conditions facilitated both production and circulation within the region. Further comparative research, particularly with contemporaneous decorated ceramic wares, is expected to clarify more precisely the position of punch'ŏng ware painted with underglaze iron-brown within the ceramic production system of early Chosŏn Korea.