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In the premodern era, incense, called hyang in Korean, was used for more diverse purposes such as being incorporated into major national ceremonies and religious rites. The use of incense dates back to the Three Kingdoms period when Buddhism was introduced to the Korean Peninsula from China. To date, incense has since been utilized in many ways.
To burn incense with a flame, incense and an incense burner, called hyangno in Korea , is needed. In the early days, metal burners were used for Buddhist rites. Ceramic incense burners were introduced later and used until the Goryeo and Joseon periods.
Cheongja hyangno, a celadon incense burner was used by the members of the royal family and aristocrats in the Goryeo Period. Traces of the production and use of celadon incense burners have been found in certain regions. The burners made in Gangjin-gun or Buan-gun were transported to Gaegyeong, the capital of Goryeo via a sea route, which has been substantiated by these items recently found buried on the west coast.
This exhibition aims to help people understand the characteristics and significance of celadon incense burner produced in the Goryeo period based on the items recovered by underwater excavations.