The Goryeo dynasty was founded in 918 and took control of most of the Korean Peninsula by 936, ruling an area even greater than that of the previous Unified Silla. The northern border extended as far as the Amnok River, the present-day boundary between North Korea and China. Early Goryeo, from 918 to 1170, consolidated the sovereignty of the monarchy by making present-day Gaesong, on the west coast of Korea, the capital; where Wang Geon, the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, could gain regional support from warlords. A Chinese-style national examination for officials was implemented to bring new clans into the government. The middle Goryeo, from 1170 to 1270, experienced a series of disruptive events. Different military leaders seized the throne, triggering several rebellions of peasants and slaves, while simultaneously facing invasions by the Mongolian Yuan dynasty. By the late Goryeo period, from 1270 to 1392, the dynasty was largely under the control of the Mongol Yuan court in present-day Beijing. Goryeo disintegrated following frequent assaults by Chinese rebel forces and Japanese pirates, and General Yi Seong-gye, a founder of the Joseon dynasty, rose to power.
Buddhism flourished during the Goryeo, and large amounts of Buddhist texts and artworks were patronized by the elite, including the so-called Koreana Tripitaka – a set of over 80,000 woodblocks that could be used to print the entire Korean Buddhist cannon. Movable type was also used in Korea for the first time in world history during the Goryeo. Representative types of crafts from the Goryeo period include ceremonial objects used in Buddhist temples, metalwares and lacquerwares. Most of all, Goryeo is known for its ceramic art, especially celadon ware, which saw its heyday between the first half of the 11th century and early 13th century. The creation of the sanggam ceramic inlay technique reached a peak around the mid-12th ceuntury.
Leave a comment
Here you can leave a comment. You have to supply an e-mail, an alias and you have to approve the conditions.