Bride's Robe
1700s
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
This wedding gown is exquisitely embroidered with various symbols of happiness in colorful silk threads. Butterflies stand for marital happiness; the phoenix, numerous offspring; and lotus flowers and white cranes, longevity. Yet, the bridal gown does not attest to the life of luxury. To the contrary, many traces of repairs, trimmings, and patchwork reflect Joseon-period women’s commitment to value aesthetics of frugality and modesty.
Substantial repairs and patching reveal that this gown served as an important communal resource to be shared and passed down through several generations. Only its collar and sleeves, which are made of thick paper, are replaced with new ones, while the robe was reused for decades.
- Title: Bride's Robe
- Date Created: 1700s
- Physical Dimensions: Overall: 116.9 x 177.8 cm (46 x 70 in.)
- Provenance: (Worcester R. Warner [1846-1929], Cleveland, OH, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Garment
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1918.550
- Medium: silk and paper with silk embroidered
- Original Title: 혼례복 (闊衣)
- Fun Fact: This gown was not made for one specific bride, but rather served as an important communal resource to be shared and passed down through several generations. Only its collar and sleeves, which are made of thick paper, are replaced with new ones, while the robe was reused for decades.
- Department: Textiles
- Culture: Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392-1910)
- Credit Line: The Worcester R. Warner Collection
- Collection: Textiles
- Accession Number: 1918.550
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