Tile, early 7th century; Three Kingdoms period (18 B.C.–A.D.660) Korean (Paekche Kingdom) Earthenware; 11 x 11 in. (28 x 28 cm) The National Museum of Korea, Seoul (Treasure no. 343)

The beast is depicted on a tile made of clay, which was probably shaped with a mold. After the tile was formed, it was baked in a kiln with other ceramic objects until the clay was completely dry and hard.

Pieces of pottery that are heated to a temperature around 600–1100ºC, such as this tile, are called earthenware. This type of ceramic is the easiest kind to make. Stoneware and porcelain require finer clay materials and much higher kiln temperatures than earthenware.

While this tile is not covered with a glaze, it might have originally been decorated with paint. This square tile, along with many others like it, adorned a royal palace thousands of years ago. We do not know exactly where these tiles were placed, because the buildings no longer exist. It is possible that the tiles were set into palace walls or were used to decorate altars, which would suggest that they had a religious meaning. Can you imagine how tiles such as this would look as part of a building?

In China, ceramic tiles made during this period and earlier have been found with very similar types of powerful beasts depicted on them. These creatures, which have the same kind of masklike face, heavy torso, and feathery wings on their shoulders and back, were often associated with the powers of nature, especially storms, and were often seen as serving a protective role. Chinese images of these beasts, however, are not known to include belts and stylized mountains. Therefore, Korean potters seem to have taken popular Chinese images and changed them to suit their own interests and legends.

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