White porcelain, saved at cost of 15 homes, goes on view at Kansong

In 1936, a single piece of Joseon white porcelain fetched the equivalent of 15 houses at an auction in colonial Seoul. It was Jeon Hyung-pil (1906-1962) who secured it after intense competition with Japanese collectors in the colonial era (1910-1945), claiming the work that might otherwise have disappeared overseas. The white porcelain was later designated as a national treasure. Jeon — who devoted himself to preserving Korean cultural heritage during the colonial period as a wealthy merchant —

By The Korea Herald