Embroidered Folding Screen with Peony and Peacock

The artist Hong In-seon(洪寅善, 1921-2013), who graduated Pyeongyang Seomun High School for Girls(Class of 1936), completed this embroidered folding screen in 1970. There are many embroidery works of peony and peacock designs that are based on the original paintings of Maruyama Okyo, the founder of the Shijo School. The peacock and peonies are arranged differently in this embroidery compared to Maruyama Okyo’s painting. Especially, the depictions of the peonies are richer in detail and more diverse. The peonies are embroidered with padding to create volume, whereas the colorful peacock is depicted with shiny silk threads. This type of peacock design was a typical subject used in embroidery works exported to Europe and America since the Meiji era, while creating Shijo School style embroidery was popular in Korean girls’ schools.