Princess Deokhye’s Open-seated Pants

This pair of pants is one of the clothing artifacts from the royal Joseon household left behind after Princess Deokhye, daughter of Emperor Gojong, stayed in Japan. The Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum in Tokyo, Japan re-donated this jacket to the National Palace Museum of Korea in 2015 after it had been given to the Costume Museum by Imperial Prince Yeong and his consort. Open-seated pants are pants for children used before toilet training. Its name, pungcha, is derived from word pungcha literally meaning “a windshield.” As the seam is unsown over the buttocks, it is convenient to change diapers or to let children relieve themselves. When not in use, the parts of the windshield are overlapped not to reveal the buttocks. In winter, this is padded with cotton between the outer fabric and lining. As part of an outfit with a dark pink jacket and sash for the first birthday celebration, this is made of white habutae, a fine, thin silk, and padded with cotton.