The Beauty of Korean Crafts and Ceramics at HOME·TABLE DECO FAIR 2025 (COEX)
(with the Gyeonggi Ceramic Fair)
🗓 Dec 18–21, 2025
📍 COEX C·D Hall, Seoul
🌏 Before You Head Out to Korean Crafts and Ceramics at COEX
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Intro
Held at COEX this December, HOME·TABLE DECO FAIR 2025 opened alongside the Gyeonggi Ceramic Fair, filling the halls with Korean crafts, ceramics, and living design.
From quiet everyday objects to sculptural pieces, the exhibition showed how traditional materials continue to evolve in modern life.
This post captures the fair through my own photographs — focusing on textures, forms, and the calm beauty of Korean craftsmanship.
1. Korean Crafts
🧵 Textile Accessories & Embroidery
One of the first sections I lingered in was filled with textile crafts — small, delicate objects made with traditional fabrics and embroidery.
Eyeglass cases, wedding money pouches, and wrapping cloths were displayed together, each piece quietly carrying traces of daily life, ceremonies, and gifting culture.
They felt practical, but also deeply personal — objects made to be used, touched, and passed on.
💠 Norigae (Ornament)
Traditional norigae ornaments once worn with hanbok brought a gentle sense of symbolism to the space.
They reminded me of my mother, who used to make norigae herself, knot by knot, with jade and patience.
More than decoration, they represent wishes for good fortune, longevity, and happiness.
🛏 Traditional Pillows
Small, colorful, and full of charm — these Korean pillows felt almost playful.
Made with traditional textiles and cotton filling, they showed how everyday comfort could also be beautifully made. They felt especially familiar.
I used a pillow like this when I was little, which made them feel even more endearing.
🌿 Naturally Dyed Ramie Jogakbo
Patchwork wrapping cloths made of naturally dyed ramie stood out for their rhythm of color and transparency.
Layered pieces of fabric created a calm, almost meditative visual flow.
✨ Mother-of-Pearl Lacquerware Boxes
Intricately inlaid with mother-of-pearl, these najeonchilgi box sets were both traditional and surprisingly modern.
Designed to store jewelry or precious items, they reflected patience, precision, and quiet luxury.
🖤 Traditional Najeonchilgi Box Set Inlaid with Mother-of-Pearl
This traditional najeonchilgi box, delicately inlaid with mother-of-pearl, was used to store jewelry and other valuables.
Rooted in traditional craftsmanship, the piece incorporates a modern sensibility, balancing ornament and function.
Mother-of-pearl lacquered boxes, including octagonal forms with geometric patterns
🕯 Hanji Lamps
Wooden frames covered with hanji paper softly diffused the light, creating a warm and gentle atmosphere.
Standing nearby, I could feel how light itself becomes part of Korean craft.
🗄 Traditional Wooden Storage Chests
Traditional wooden mungap chests — both drawer-style and compact versions — showed how storage furniture was once designed with balance and proportion in mind.
🖤 Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Game Boards (Janggi & Baduk)
These janggi and baduk game boards are decorated with delicate mother-of-pearl inlay.
Once used in refined households, they reflect how traditional craftsmanship extended even to leisure objects, blending play with artistry.
🧹 Traditional Brooms
Even brooms, made by weaving natural materials, were presented as craft objects.
Simple tools, re-seen as expressions of everyday wisdom and handwork.
2. Ceramics
⚪ Moon Jars (Dalhangari)
Soft, calm, and quietly powerful.
The Korean moon jar (dalhangari) feels less like an object and more like a presence.
With their generous curves and quiet presence, moon jars embodied the essence of Korean porcelain — simplicity, balance, and space.
🍽 Korean Tableware
This section focused on ceramics used at the table — familiar forms, reimagined.
1) 🍽️ Traditional Bansanggi Sets
A variety of traditional Korean dining tableware sets, used for everyday meals and ceremonial dining, reflecting the balance and order of Korean food culture.
2) 🍽️ Plates, Rice Bowls, Soup Bowls, and Serving Dishes
A selection of traditional Korean tableware, including various plates, rice bowls, soup bowls, and serving dishes, used for everyday meals and formal dining.
Blue-and-white porcelain nesting bowls titled “Layer by Layer”
3) Buncheongsagi Lidded Box
Buncheong ware lidded boxes with Ten Symbols of Longevity
Despite their traditional techniques, many pieces felt distinctly contemporary.
🍵 Korean Teaware
Tea culture took center stage through thoughtfully designed sets:
- Blue-and-white porcelain teaware with Hangul and peony motifs
White porcelain tea sets inspired by the shapes of Hangul
Mixed tea utensil sets combining celadon, white porcelain, and buncheong
Black clay tea sets accented with silver – Korean Crafts and Ceramics at COEX
Each set approached tradition from a slightly different angle. – Korean Crafts and Ceramics at COEX
🍶 Bottles & Cups
From traditional makgeolli serving sets with low wooden tables
to ceramic stem cups inspired by Korean aesthetics, this area explored how drinking culture continues to evolve.
Nearby, contemporary gold and silver metal tableware added a modern contrast.
Playful, irregularly shaped cups in various designs added a lighter, more whimsical touch.
🏺 Everyday Ceramic Objects
Small ceramic items for daily life filled the shelves:
Ceramic diffusers
Floral-shaped candle and incense lamps and patterned ceramic match holders
Bottle-shaped ceramic vases
💎 Jewelry Boxes and Decorative Accessories
Objects meant to be used — and enjoyed quietly. – Korean Crafts and Ceramics at COEX
✨ Atmosphere & Side Experiences
Beyond the exhibits, there were small moments of delight:
tasting Dutch Gouda cheese 🧀, sipping warm glühwein (mulled wine) 🍷, and taking short breaks between halls. – Korean Crafts and Ceramics at COEX
Throughout the fair, hands-on programs and talks were held — from ceramic-based Christmas table styling to crafting moon jar flower arrangements and name stones.
Stamp tours, live shopping events, and seasonal goods filled the space with a relaxed, festive energy 🎄- Korean Crafts and Ceramics at COEX
Western-style teaware and cutlery set were also available for purchase, adding a contemporary contrast to the traditional Korean pieces. – Korean Crafts and Ceramics at COEX
If you’re visiting COEX this winter, the fair is worth slowing down for.
✨ Useful Travel Links around COEX (via Klook)
SEA LIFE COEX Aquarium Ticket
Easy online ticket for COEX Aquarium — great for a short indoor visit.- Hyundai Department Store Duty Free (Dongdaemun / Trade Center)
FIT benefits voucher for duty-free shopping in central Seoul. Airport Limousine Bus 6103 (COEX ↔ Incheon Airport)
Convenient airport bus connecting Gangnam and COEX.- Discover Seoul Pass (24 / 48 / 72 Hours)
Unlimited access to major attractions and public transport. K-POP COEX Gangnam Stay in Seoul
Accommodation options near COEX, updated deals available.
Stay tuned next for my review of Starfield Library at COEX!
For more Seoul winter exhibition guides, check out:
https://enko.co.kr/winter-exhibitions-in-seoul/
