Highlights

Traditional Korean tableware with regal golden aesthetic handmade in Bucheon, Korea.

Material: 83.3% Copper, 16.7% Tin. Non-ferrous. Metal sourced from Hanbaek Non-ferrous Co, Ltd.

Set Includes:
- 3 banchan bowls (4.13in diameter x 1.18in height)
- 1 rectangular plate (7.87in width x 5.23in length)
- 1 rice bowl w/lid (3.74in diameter x 2.56in height)
- 1 soup bowl (5.92in diameter x 1.97in height)

Description

Introducing Joseon Yugi: Traditional Elegance, Modern Utility
Experience the aesthetic and gravitas of traditional Korean yugi tableware – a blend of copper and tin mastery, the work embodies Korea's rich tableware heritage. Once confined to ancestral rites, the bronzeware now graces contemporary tables with functional unique design and a golden sheen. In recent years the tableware has drawn attention for the metal’s sterilization and antibacterial properties.

What sets Joseon yugi apart is its casting technique which uses mudflat soil; a technique and processes that dates back to the 16th century. Unlike machine-made counterparts, Joseon Yugi wares are hand made, each piece possessing its own personality, center of mass, and subtle characteristics.

Joseon Yugi Care
* Before the first use, soak your yugi in a lukewarm water:vinegar mixture (30:1 ratio), a subtle gold tint will appear
* Use of vinegar with detergent will prevent stains and smells of non-ferrous metals
* Exposure to flames may result in discoloration or food stains, this is safe and normal for yugi bronzeware
* After washing, dry with a towel to prevent water stains. Over time and with consistent wiping, the bronzeware will naturally shine brighter
* Stains can be scrubbed and removed by gently rubbing along the grain with specialized yugi scrubbers. Special yugi scrubbers are available for purchase through Kim’C Market

About

Hwang Jooyeon is the current leader and steward of Joseon Yugi, an artisan family legacy spanning three generations. The heritage lies in crafting beneficent bangjja yugi bronzeware using the time-honored casting method. Originating in 1978 as a small brass shop founded by Hwang’s grandfather, Hwang Yeonggunong, and later expanded by his late father Hwang Joong-sik, the business evolved from making Buddhist ceremonial supplies to creating bronze relics and restoring cultural assets.

Since 1990, Joseon Yugi has specialized in yugi bronzeware and now focuses on the intersect of tradition and modernity, catering to the diverse tableware and home goods needed for contemporary life.

Since 2012, Joseon Yugi has actively participated in the National Palace Museum of Korea's Jongmyo ritual dishes restoration project, contributing to UNESCO-registered Jongmyo ritual events. Today, the six seasoned artisan masters that joined Hwang’s father in 1978 continue to guide the company alongside him.

Yugi Bronzeware Forging Process
* Made from a combination of copper (83.3%) and tin (16.7%) with absolutely no chemicals such as enamel
* Joseon Yugi pots are forged by repeatedly heating the metal in 2192°F flames and then quenched and cooled by specific artisan blacksmiths, few of which remain in the world
* The manufacturing process entails a total of 9 steps. The casting process includes melting the bangjja iron, forming a mold using mudflat soil, and then pouring molten iron to make the initial shape of the bowl. Afterwards, it is hand trimmed and hand shaved multiple times to perfect the form of the individual bowl. It is then polished, rested, and ready for consumer use.

안녕하세요. 조선유기공방의 3대째 가업을 잇고 있는 황주연입니다. 조선유기공방은 예로부터 이로운 그릇이라 불리는 방짜유기그릇을 전통 주물사(주조) 방식으로 제조하는 공방입니다. 경주 황남동의 작은 놋점(대장간)에서 할아버님이신 고 황영군옹께서 시작하던 일을 재작년에 작고하신 아버님(고 황중식)이 1978년도에 부천으로 상경하셔서 대지공예(금속)를 설립하셨고, 처음에는 불교제례용품과 구리 공예품을 만들다가 이후 기술력이 알려지면서 청동유물 및 문화재 복원일도 병행하게 되었습니다.

1990년 이후부터는 본격적으로 유기그릇을 제조하는 전문 공방으로 알려지게 되었습니다. 2008년 부터 조선유기공방으로 상호를 변경하여 조금씩 직접 유기그릇을 만들어 판매하였고 현대 소비자의 니즈에 맞는 다양한 디자인과 쓰임있는 그릇을 만들고자 노력하고 있습니다.

특히 2012년도부터 2021년 현재까지 거의 매해 국립고궁박물관이 주관하는 종묘제기 복원사업에도 유물복원업체와 함께 참여하고 있으며 저희가 만든 유기로 종묘제례행사(유네스코 등재)에도 쓰이고 있다고 합니다. 현재는 1978년도에 아버님과 함께 일을 시작한 여섯명의 장인들이 저와 함께 공방을 이끌어 가고 있습니다.