The Journey of the Costumes of Heungwan-gun and His Family
Learn about the various styles of the official robes in the Joseon period and its modifications in the late 19th century through costumes of Heungwan-gun and his family
Cheolik (Military Robe with Pleated Skirt) (Korea, 19th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
Costumes of Heungwan-gun and his family
The collected costumes of Heungwan’s family (National Folklore Cultural Heritage No.121) include various types of official robes in the 19th century: court robes, ritual robes, ordinary court robes, court robes without rank insignia, and the two type of military uniforms: yungbok and gunbok. These costumes cover officials’ robes before and after the dress reform in 1884 when King Gojong declared the simplification of officials’ robes.
Heungwan-gun and Wansun-gun
Heungwan-gun Yi Jeongeung (1814~1848) was the younger brother of Heungryeong-gun and the older brother of Heungin-gu and Heungseon-daewongun (Great Lord of Heungseon). He was posthumously invested as chief state councilor. Heungwan’s adoptive son Wansun-gun Yi Jaewan (1855~1922) served as minister of the Imperial Court in the third year of Emperor Gwangmu (1899).
Court Robe
The court robe (jobok) was considered the best ceremonial robe that government officials wore on celebratory occasions at the royal court, including the New Year’s Day and the promulgation of royal edicts.
Court Robe (Korea, 19th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
An upper garment of a court robe. A ceremonial lower garment is stitched to a blue sleeveless undercoat over which a chest cover is attached. The upper garment in the picture has side slits and wide sleeves. The neckband, cut edges, and cuffs are hemmed in black with fine white borderlines.
Court RobeSookmyung Women’s University Museum
By the mid and later period of Joseon, blue was designated for the color of an undercoat and this blue undercoat was also called cheongsam (blue jacket).
Blue UndercoatㆍRed Lower Garment (Korea, 19th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
This court robe was made one suit for the wearer's convenience, showing an important characteristic of the court robes near the end of the Joseon period.
Upper Garment of a Court RobeㆍChest Cover (Korea, 19th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
During the later Joseon period, an official wore a plain overcoat with a back slit over his plain jacket and a lower garment. Then he wore the ceremonial garment, the under coat which was also termed cheongsam (blue robe). Over the undercoat, the official wore a ceremonial lower garment and jeokchoui (thin silk jacket in red). This jacket is also termed hongsam (red jacket).
(Left) The rear drape was a ceremonial ornament that officials wore at the back of a court robe or a ritual robe. (Right) The large belt was put around the wearer's waist over the upper garment of a court robe or a ritual robe.
Ritual Robe
The ritual robe was a ceremonial robe that officials used for state rites performed at the Royal Ancestral Shrine and the Altar of the Soil and Grain. During the Joseon dynasty, a state rite was a religious and political ritual, and the ritual robe was considered the most important among ceremonial robes. The upper garment of a ritual robe was in black.
Upper Garment of a Ritual RobeㆍChest CoverㆍRound Cloth around the Neck (Korea, 19th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
Black upper garment, coat strings, and crimson chest cover are made of scaled silk while round neckband and the cloth around the neck are made of raw Chinese thin silk in white color. The fabric that covers the straight neckband and hemlines is white satin.
Upper Garment of a Ritual RobeㆍChest CoverㆍRound Cloth around the Neck (Korea, 19th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
In the late Joseon period, in addition to black, purple, which falls under the category of dark colors, was also used.
White UndercoatㆍLower Garment of a Ritual Robe (Korea, 19th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
The white undercoat of a ritual robe attached to a red lower garment. The coat is also termed baeksam (white jacket). The undercoat has a straight neckband and wide sleeves. Its neckband, cuffs, sidelines, and cut edges are hemmed in black. The red lower garment that is stitched to the undercoat gives a good example of simplified ritual robes at the end of Joseon.
Round-collared Robe
The round-collared robe (danryeong) was used as mourning garments for kings; court robes, court robes without rank insignia, and ordinary court robes for officials; and wedding robes for the common people. Originated from the clothes of nomadic horse men of the northern barbarian tribes, round-collared clothes were introduced to Korea during the Three Kingdoms period and used as officials' robes until the Joseon dynasty.
Red Danryeong (Round-collared Robe) (Korea, 19th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
In the picture is a court robe without rank insignia in light red color. Although red danryeong was simple and plain with neither patterns on the fabric nor rank insignia, it was abolished during the dress reform in the 21st year of King Gojong (1884). Instead, black danryeong was designated as the only robe for the officials while undertaking public duties.
Narrow-sleeved Danryeong (Round-collared Robe) with Cloud-treasure Pattern (Korea, Late19th century~Early 20th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
A round-collared robe with no side slits and narrow sleeves at the end of Joseon.
Robe for State Funerals and Morning
Civil and military officials as well as royal relatives undertook their official duties dressed in danryeong (rounded-collared robe) during state funerals and the mourning periods. The color of danryeong during the morning period changed from white to jade green and then to black.
Double Layered Danryeong (Round-collared Robe) with Narrow Sleeves made of White Hemp ClothSookmyung Women’s University Museum
A white danryeong (round-collared robe) after the dress reform in the gaps in year in 1884. Officials wore this type of danryeong from the first anniversary of royal passing until the rite commemorating the second anniversary. This single-layered danryeong is made of light jade-green ramie cloth with collars in unpatterned silk.
Military Uniforms
During the Joseon period, two types of military uniforms were used: yungbok and gunbok. The official military robe with pleated skirt (cheolik) was used as daily clothes or under official court uniforms. To wear gunbok, the highest level of attire of military officials, an official dressed himself in a military jacket with colored sleeves (hyeopsu) and a sleeveless military overcoat (jeonbok).
Cheolik (Military Robe with Pleated Skirt) (Korea, 19th century) by UnknownSookmyung Women’s University Museum
Cheolik is onepiece of garment that connects an upper garment and a pleated skirt. Until yungbok (a type of military uniforms) was abolished in 1883 (20th reign year of King Gojong) during the late Joseon period, kings and officials wore cheolik while hunting, during the wars, and when visiting other states as an envoy. Cheolik was commonly called yungbok or gunbok because it was mainly used for military purposes.
To wear gunbok, the highest level of attire of military officials, an official dressed himself in a sleeveless military overcoat (jeonbok) over hyeopsu and put on a wide military belt (yodae) and a military band (jeondae). Hyeopsu, also known as dongdari, has narrow sleeves as well as side slits and a back slit so that the wearer may move more freely. Over dongdari, a military official wore jeonbok, a long and sleeveless overcoat with no closing in front.
The main intent of the dress reform was to mitigate inconveniences by narrowing the width of the sleeves in official robes and reducing the number of clothes the officials wore in layers. Thus, the characteristics of and modifications made to official robes in the late Joseon dynasty are well reflected in the costumes of Heungwan-gun and his family.
This online exhibition is created based on the special exhibition of Sookmyung Women's University Museum, 'The Costumes of Heungwan-gun and His Family'. Take a look at more details about the exhibition in the videos below.
Conservation of costume artifacts - The Journey of the Costumes of Heungwan-gun and His Family (2022-10-01) by Sookmyung Women's University MuseumSookmyung Women’s University Museum
Conservation of traditional clothing artifacts
Exhibition preparation - The Journey of the Costumes of Heungwan-gun and His Family (2022-10-01) by Sookmyung Women's University MuseumSookmyung Women’s University Museum
Exhibition preparation
Bureaucratic costumes in the Joseon Dynasty - The Journey of the Costumes of Heungwan-gun and His Family (2022-10-01) by Sookmyung Women's University MuseumSookmyung Women’s University Museum
Official work attires during the Joseon dynasty
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