The crafts represented here are typical of those produced during Korea's late feudal period, which ended with the termination of the Yi Dynasty ( 1392-1910). Before 1800, most of the handcraft industries, such as pottery-making, metalsmithing, and stone-working, were strictly regulated by the royal court, which controlled much of the country's commerce. During the declining years of the dynasty, however, small cottage industries appeared, as peasant farmers sought to improve their precarious economic situation by producing textiles, baskets, and other crafts for market.

On appointed market days in the villages, peddlers, local vendors, and ...