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A Study on the Standardization of the Chinese Designation of the Moon Jar ― Focusing on the Current Status of Chinese Translations and a Comparative Analysis of Vessel-Form (Typological) Classification

  • The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China
  • Abbr : JSLCKC
  • 2026, (79), pp.97~131
  • DOI : 10.16874/jslckc.2026..79.004
  • Publisher : Korean Society of Study on Chinese Languge and Culture
  • Research Area : Humanities > Chinese Language and Literature
  • Received : January 10, 2026
  • Accepted : February 20, 2026
  • Published : February 28, 2026

Eo Ho Yeun 1,  Ahyoung, Lee 2

1부산외국어대학교 통역번역대학원 한중전공
2부산외국어대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study aims to diagnose the current proliferation of inconsistent Chinese translations of the Joseon white porcelain moon jar—which has recently emerged as an emblematic symbol of K-Art—and to propose a standardized translation framework that simultaneously satisfies academic coherence and public communicability. To this end, the study analyzes China’s official cultural heritage registration standards and typological definitions of ceramic vessel forms, seeking a translation solution grounded in authoritative classification systems. The findings reveal that existing Chinese renderings of dalhangari (moon jar) exhibit a complex many-to-many pattern of confusion, resulting from the multilayered semantics of the Korean source term combined with the absence of clear translation criteria. Several widely used translations are shown to entail potential mistranslations that contradict the artistic and morphological values inherent in the source term, or risk diminishing the cultural and symbolic status of the vessel within the Chinese-speaking context. In response, this study conducts a multi-dimensional analysis of authoritative sources, including Chinese national and institutional standards, established naming conventions, and relevant scholarly literature, to evaluate the appropriateness of vessel-form terminology. The analysis demonstrates that hu (壺), which in modern Chinese ceramic taxonomy denotes a pouring vessel equipped with a spout (liu, 流) and handle (bing, 柄), is morphologically incompatible with the moon jar. Likewise, gang (缸) entails both formal incongruence and the risk of status depreciation, while zun (尊) gives rise to discrepancies in functional and typological definition. By contrast, guan (罐), defined as a deep storage vessel with a wide mouth and a full, rounded body, is shown to correspond most closely to the morphological characteristics of the moon jar and thus constitutes the most appropriate terminological choice. On this basis, drawing on the principles of equivalence theory and Skopos theory in translation studies, this research proposes a three-tiered standardized translation scheme: (1) a basic form, Yueliang Guan (月亮罐, “moon jar”), designed for broad public communication and contemporary artistic reinterpretation; (2) an extensible form, [attribute] + Yueliang Guan, allowing flexible modification according to material, technique, or other attributes; and (3) an academic form, Chaoxian Wangchao Baici Yueliang Guan (朝鲜王朝白瓷月亮罐, “Joseon Dynasty White Porcelain Moon Jar”), which conforms to Chinese ceramic nomenclature standards in scholarly contexts. Through empirical typological analysis, this study corrects inaccuracies in existing translations and provides a practical scholarly foundation for establishing and disseminating the cultural and artistic identity of the moon jar within the Chinese-speaking world.

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