Abstract
Industrial ceramic of Korean industrial design, especially tableware show different characteristics in their forms between 1940s-1960s, and 1970s-1990s. The shift of such changes can be verified objectively by module measurement. The validity of the results applying this method is supported by the investigation of the change of aesthetic modes in Korean society. The most obvious change in the figurative characteristics of tableware is in the outline of their external shapes. 'Module' is used to describe and analyze the changes of such an external shape more strictly as the objective method and measuring the module is employed. This method was developed by the combination of the method analyzing figurative art works by Re Corbuise who uses 'module' with Hambidge's method to describe and analyze the works by means of the golden section. The shift of flgurative changes of tableware could be examined objectively and elaborately by such a newly developed method. The industrialization of tableware production in Korea was begun in 1940s. Then its design was not activated, but as the society has been stabilized through the liberation and civil war, design was settled in 1960s. After that, the design has played the essential roles in 1970s. And as the importance of design in producing goods has been recognized according to the economic growth. The design of tableware shows a remarkable difference based on 1960s and 1970s in such an economic growth. It is resulted from the scientific data analysis of the design since 1940 without any preference. According to the results which analyze the external shapes of tableware for last 50 years, the tableware designs show much differences between 1940s-1960s, and 1970s-1990s. The figurative changes of Korean tableware show the similar trends to the transitional aspects of the society. Design is the manifestation of aesthetic modes which have been developed in a close relationship to society and especially economy. In Korea the development of design was initiated by the economic growth and the Korean aesthetic modes were also changed with the economic growth. The transitional shift of aesthetic modes shown in the figurative characteristics of tableware which are divided on the basis of 1960s and 1970s was peak in 1970s with the development of economy and design started in 1960s.