This study examines the Chinese-style porcelain vessels produced by the Sayongwon (司饔院, Royal Cuisine Office) in response to diplomatic challenges that arose during the reception of Ming envoys under the reigns of King Seonjo (r. 15671608) and King Gwanghaegun (r. 16081623). Historical records indicate that Ming envoys complained about unpleasant food odors, prompting the production of Chinese-style white porcelain referred to as Dangje cheyang (唐制體樣, "vessels made in the Chinese style"). Furthermore, the illustrated banquet arrangements contained in the Yeongjeok Dogam Jabŏmsaek Deungnok (1609) demonstrate that Chinese and Joseon white porcelains were used together in diplomatic banquets.
Among the white porcelain vessels believed to have been used for entertaining foreign envoys in the seventeenth century, one excavated from Cheongjin-dong in Jongno-gu bears the inscription "Tang" (唐). Based on its form and dimensions, this vessel can be identified as an example of Chinese-style porcelain. By combining documentary evidence with archaeological materials, this study reconstructs the diplomatic landscape of seventeenth-century Joseon, in which ritual, cuisine, and tableware functioned together as integral components of state diplomacy.
Considering the elevated political and symbolic status of the Ming dynasty in the aftermath of the Imjin War (15921598), the production of Chinese-style white porcelain reflects Joseon’s deliberate diplomatic strategy to provide Ming envoys with a sense of cultural familiarity and psychological comfort. During the reign of Gwanghaegun, this strategy was further refined through the combined use of Chinese-style porcelain (Dangjeo jagi, 唐製磁器) and Joseon-made porcelain (Jajunggi, ⾃中器), thereby addressing not only the olfactory concerns raised by foreign guests but also enhancing the visual presentation of the banquet table. Such practices reveal a sophisticated diplomatic approach in which material culture was carefully employed to negotiate political relationships.
Finally, by examining both contemporary documentary sources and excavated archaeological evidence, this study also explores the relationship between these Chinese-style vessels and later food-related terms containing the character Tang (唐), such as Dangsabal (唐沙鉢) and Dangdaecheop (唐⼤貼), which emerged in the late Joseon period. This broader perspective demonstrates that the history of Chinese-style porcelain during the reigns of King Seonjo and King Gwanghaegun is closely intertwined with the histories of diplomacy, cuisine, and material culture, thereby revealing its broader significance within the artistic and cultural exchanges of early modern East Asia.