Onggi holds many fascinating secrets behind its rough-hewn appearance. In the past, onggi was a vital part of daily life from cradle to the grave. Onggi, of which no two are identical, is an art form that embodies wisdom and love for one’s family.

Article Lee Hyunju (Editorial Team) Sources Onggi: Korean Traditional Earthenware (Korea Craft & Design Foundation, 2015), Encyclopedia of Korean Culture

Onggi: Definition and history

Onggi, a form of traditional Korean earthenware, is something with which most Koreans are not very familiar. “Ong” is the Chinese letter for “container,” and the dictionary definition of onggi is “a term that collectively refers to vessels made from various types of clay.”

There are two major types: jilgeuret is unglossed, while ojigeuret is glossy due to having been coated in lye. The most common example of onggi is the barrel-like container—which, in pre-modern Korea, could be found in virtually every home—to store doenjang (soybean paste) and gochujang (red chili paste).

It all began with ancient Koreans’ need for something to store their agricultural produce. After several cycles of trial and error, someone discovered how one must mold clay (which was readily available) and bake it into bowl-like receptacles. This summary belies the immense effort and level of craftsmanship that must have been required to make onggi both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

As such, onggi became part of daily life in the Neolithic Age, used not only to hold food but also as a coffin. A wall painting in Anak Tomb No. 3, a Goguryeo-era kofun, features rows of varying sizes of onggi. Records from the Baekje and Silla dynasties show how onggi were used to store rice, liquor, cooking

oil, soy sauce, and jeotgal (salted seafood). The Goryeo and Joseon dynasties also produced many records about onggi. For example, a book of essays, Assorted Writings of Yongjae, by early Joseon scholar and government official Seong Hyeon suggests that onggi were an indispensable item: “Clay bowls are the most essential type of container used by humans. Mapo and Noryangjin are inhabited by many people who bake clay for a livelihood. They make large, unglossed lidded jars.” In the 18th and 19th centuries, onggi became even more widespread, with different shapes and designs emerging in different regions.

The ancient version of Tupperware

To make onggi, one must first, of course, knead the clay. After the clay is dried slightly in a shaded spot, it is formed into bricklike shapes with a small wooden hammer. The clay is then beaten into sheets called taraemi through a process called panjangjil. The taraemi are put onto a spinning wheel and shaped with a paddle using a process called tarimjil, with the shape affected by factors such as the speed at which the wheel is turned and the potter’s hands. Needless to say, the quality of the onggi depends heavily on the dexterity of the potter.

Onggi were used as containers for a truly wide range of objects, including sauces, water, liquor, rice, and excrement, as well as for bathing, steaming (rice cakes), and storing material without a lid (food, water, etc.). They were also used when washing rice or vegetables, dishes, or laundry; to store vinegar; as a portable liquor bottle (called a “turtle bottle” for its shape); and countless other purposes. In addition to in the home, onggi were used for official ceremonies and as musical instruments and shaped into roof tiles.

The reason why onggi were used for such diverse purposes and for such a long period of time is closely related to the advantages of the clay from which they were made: namely, permeability, protection from decay, and affordability. All three characteristics were most likely learned through long years of experience. Onggi are known as “plateware that breathes,” a quality that is made possible by the miniscule grains of sand in the clay, which create air holes. It is thanks to these air holes that food stored in onggi ripens “just right” and can be stored for relatively long periods of time. In short, onggi are perfect for storing fermented foods, including doenjang (soybean paste), ganjang (soy sauce), kimchi, and jeotgal (salted seafood).

Another important trait of onggi is their prevention of food from spoiling, making them ideal for storing rice, barley, and seeds. The soot that forms while burning wood in a kiln ends up coating the inside and outside of an onggi and serves as a kind of natural preservative. The ashes that find their way into the glaze that coats onggi is another element that prevents food spoilage.

Above all, onggi were affordable thanks to the use of materials (clay, firewood, and glaze) that were easily accessible by ordinary Koreans. This means that almost everyone, regardless of social class, could purchase onggi and made it possible for onggi to become established as the most basic of necessities.

The earthenware pot as a reflection of Korea

One interesting fact is that hangari, one of the most common types of onggi that is usually large and lidded, vary in appearance by province. The hangari of the central provinces (Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, etc.) thicken only slight toward the middle and have a wide mouth (relative to the central diameter). On the other hand, the hangari of the southern provinces (Gyeongsang and Jeolla) are quite thick in the middle: in Gyeongsangbuk-do/Gyeongsangnam-do, the diameters of the mouth and base are narrow, while the shoulder is full. In Jeollabuk-do/Jeollanam-do, the hangari have a wide shoulder and narrow mouth.

The variation in dimensions and shape by province is due to differences in natural environment rather than user tastes. More specifically, differences in the diameter of the mouth and middle are dependent on temperature and sunlight. The hangari from Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheongbuk-do/Chungcheongnam-do, which have a cool climate, have wide mouths because there is less need to block sunlight, while the hangari from the warmer southern provinces have narrow mouths. The practicality of the hangari is very impressive, especially when considering that they were used for centuries before modern science.

The change from single-unit dwellings to apartment buildings resulted in the disappearance of the jangdokdae (place in a home's courtyard for onggi) and traditional earthenware pots. Although the world may have become a more convenient place, that convenience actually emphasizes the value of the traditional onggi as opposed to the excessive use of plastic containers, which take centuries to decompose.