Precious beyond Measure

Beth McKillop (Author) Beth McKillop is a senior research fellow and former deputy director at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Her publications include North Korean Culture and Society (2004).Jane Portal (Author) Jane Portal is Keeper of Asia at the British Museum, London. Her publications include Arts of Korea – MFA Highlights (2012).

"2025 American Ceramic Circle Book Award" - Shortlisted"This is the book on Korean ceramics we have been waiting for. It is engaging and it is magisterial. And I love it." - Edmund de Waal"Jane Portal is one of my history heroes. This is an enchanting study, as beautiful as the objects it describes." - Dan Snow"The first comprehensive book in English on the history of Korean ceramics in over fifty years, Precious beyond Measure incorporates Korean archaeology and scholarship to present an all-round view – a must-read for students and collectors." - Rose Kerr, former Keeper of the Far Eastern Department at the V&A"Telling the fascinating story of a major but somewhat overlooked East Asian ceramic tradition – Korean ceramics – this book draws upon extensive and up-to-date research materials, and the deep knowledge of its authors, to consider ceramic developments over a comprehensive time frame, from the Neolithic period to the present day. Importantly, and for the first time, the history presented here dedicates a full chapter to the Modern and Contemporary periods, and includes North Korea. Within a chronological framework, a wide range of ceramics are considered from multiple perspectives, including production and design, form and function, archaeology, consumption and distribution, illustrated with multiple colour images. While written accessibly, the book synthesizes a vast amount of information, presenting a contextualized, authentic and inclusive history that makes an important contribution to our understanding of Korean ceramics and world ceramic traditions." - Stacey Pierson, Professor of the History of Chinese Ceramics, SOAS University of London

• Introduction: Clay on the Korean Peninsula1 Pre-Goryeo2 Goryeo Period 3 Ceramics in the Joseon Dynasty and the Colonial Period4 Modern and Contemporary: New Beginnings in a Divided Country5 Current Directions in Ceramic ResearchReferencesBibliographyComparative Chronology of Korea, China and Japan Photo AcknowledgementsIndex