The emergence of celadon, or green-glazed ware, during the Koryo dynasty (912-1392) marks a turning point in the history of Korean ceramics. Not only was celadon a technological progress from the earlier stonewares but it also represented a shift in the concept of ceramics -- to an object of aesthetic appreciation, beyond its functional or symbolic values. The technology of celadon manufacture was probably introduced to Koryo by Chinese Yue ware potters either in the 9th or 10th century. Produced under the patronage of the royal court, the best of Koryo celadon are characterized by the adaptation of Chinese forms and the development of innovative designs, and especially by the distinctive "kingfisher" jade-green color of the glaze.

During the Choson dynasty (1392-1910), white ware, or porcelain, rather than the green-colored celadon stoneware, became the preferred and dominant type of ceramics, spurred in part by the austere neo-Confucian philosophy and aesthetics of the time. Besides undecorated white ware, porcelain painted with cobalt blue was popular throughout the Choson dynasty, eventually spreading beyond the upper-class consumer.