Gunpo Joseon White Porcelain Kiln Site

Located on a hill at an elevation of 91–98m southeast of Surisan Mountain, this kiln site was used for firing porcelain during the Joseon Dynasty. It sits on relatively steep bedrock. Aside from the kiln, no surrounding related relics can be identified. The kiln has seven chambers, with a narrow firebox and a wide chimney area, showing the general structure of Joseon white porcelain kilns, but the firebox structure is unique.

Mainly bowls and plates were produced, along with various types of porcelain such as jar fragments and lidded vessels. In particular, many blue-and-white porcelain fragments were found, and bowls are inscribed with characters like '福' (blessing) and '祭' (rite). This indicates that the kiln site produced not only everyday vessels but also vessels for special purposes. The Geumsa-ri kiln site, a government-managed kiln (gwan-yo) in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, shows similar porcelain types and kiln structure, suggesting they were made in the same period (early 18th century) and revealing the relationship between government kilns and private kilns. Despite severe damage, the Sanbon-dong kiln site is an important late Joseon relic that demonstrates kiln construction methods and the relationship between government and private kilns. It also shows that even private kilns produced vessels for special purposes.