jagiso en

Refers to the porcelain manufactories of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) in Korea. Derived from the Goryeo-era administrative unit “so”, originally denoting local centers for handicraft production, the term describes sites that primarily produced porcelaneous wares, including whiteware and buncheong sagi (buncheong ware). The “Sejong sillok jiriji” (Geographical Records of the Annals of King Sejong, 1454) recorded 139 jagiso and 185 dogiso (earthenware manufactories) along with their locations and quality grades. This was part of the state’s efforts to rationalize ceramics production nationwide in order to collect ceramics as tribute. Although not all of their output was collected as tribute, some porcelain produced at these manufactories was supplied for that purpose. With official court kilns known as “Bunwon” beginning full-scale production of porcelain for royal use in the latter half of the 15th century, the number of regional porcelain and earthenware manufactories rapidly declined.