Visitors look at comb-pattern pottery from the Neolithic period at the Museum of Gold’s special exhibition on traditional Korean earthenware and ceramics in Bogota, Colombia, Friday. (NMK)

A special exhibition on Korean ceramics is being held at the Museum of Gold in Bogota, Colombia, through Feb. 20, 2023.

“Ceramics From the National Museum of Korea: Voices From an Ancestral Culture" introduces the life, culture and artistic world of Koreans from the prehistoric era up to modern times through some 226 examples of earthenware and ceramics.

The exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Colombia is jointly organized by the National Museum of Korea and the Central Bank of Colombia.

Divided into four sections -- “Elegance in Everyday Life Embodied in Ceramics,” “Ceramics That Accompanied Birth and Death,” “Embodiment of Artisanal Spirit” and “Emotions of Joseon People Embodied in the Color and Designs of White Porcelain" -- the exhibition explores the use of earthenware in ceramics throughout history.

The Joseon royal family's practice of burning the placenta after childbirth and storing the ashes in white porcelain is explained through archival materials in the second section of the exhibition.

Pottery makers' efforts to elevate everyday wares into a higher art form are shown at the exhibition in highly decorated celadon and other ceramics.

Celadon prunus vase with chrysanthemum and bamboo design from the 13th century (NMK)

From the celadon prunus vase with chrysanthemum and bamboo design, which dates back to the 13th century, to a gracefully curved 18th-century white porcelain moon jar, the sentiments of the Korean people are artistically embedded in the works.

The Gold Museum is well known in Colombia, famous for its world-class collection of goldcraft works.

In 2018, the NMK here held a special exhibition, “El Dorado -- the Spirits, Gold and the Shaman,” which presented collections from the Gold Museum.