A RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS A RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS Division of Education and Public Programs | CONTENTS 2 Introduction 3 About the Exhibition 4 Acknowledgments 5 Connections to Educational Standards 6 Comparative Timeline 7 Map 8 What Was the Joseon Dynasty? 9 Joseon Faiths and Beliefs 10 The King and His Court 12 Ten Longevity Symbols 14 Royal Protocol for the Royal Wedding of King Yeongjo and Queen Jeongsun 16 Jar with Dragon Design 18 Joseon Society 20 Woman’s Upper Garment (Dangui) 21 Comb Box 22 Hangeul Letter by King Hyojong 24 Portrait of Yi Jae 25 Inkstone Table 26 Water Dropper with Bamboo Design and Poem 28 Ancestral Rites 30 Painted Spirit House 31 Huijun and Sangjun Ritual Vessels 32 Faiths and Beliefs 34 Karma Mirror and Stand 36 Joseon in Modern Times 38 Portrait of Yi Gyu-Sang 40 Websites 42 Books 44 Screen Template 45 Vase Template 46 Glossary CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Treasures from Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty, 1392–1910, on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from March 2 to May 26, 2014, and this accompanying educational resource celebrate the art and culture of Joseon Korea. This resource was developed for K–12 classroom teachers to use with their students before, after, or instead of a visit to the exhibition. Works included are intended to appeal to a diverse student body and to offer rich connections with the art, language arts, and social studies curricula. We hope that you enjoy exploring these works of art with your students, looking closely together, and talking about your responses to what you see. We also hope that learning about these objects inspires you to learn more about Korean art and culture. THIS RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS INCLUDES: ō Connections to educational standards ō Curriculum connections with suggested classroom activities ō Glossary (glossary terms are boldface in the text) ō Resource list ō Teaching poster THE CD INCLUDES: ō A PDF of this printed resource ō A PowerPoint presentation with digital images of all artworks and related looking questions to initiate discussions This material is also available online at www.philamuseum.org/education. 2 INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE EXHIBITION Treasures from Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty, 1392–1910 is the ﬁrst full-scale survey in the United States to be devoted to the art of the celebrated Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), a period that spanned half a millennium and profoundly shaped the culture and identity of Korea today. With more than 150 works drawn from the National Museum of Korea’s collection and from public and private collections in Korea and the United States, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity for visitors to see some of Korea’s artistic masterpieces, including a number of national treasures. Five themes— kingship and courtly life, Joseon society, ancestral rites, the place of Confucianism and Buddhism, and Joseon in modern times—reﬂect the philosophy of the dynasty and the historical and cultural dynamics that shaped Korean life. Treasures from Korea is one of two international exhibitions that are part of a multi-institutional collaborative exchange between the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the National Museum of Korea (NMK); the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH); and the Terra Foundation for American Art in 2013–14. In early 2013, Art Across America, featuring some of the ﬁnest works of American art from the colonial era to the present day from the collections of the four US museums, traveled to the NMK in Seoul, and the Daejeon Museum of Art. In 2014, Treasures from Korea will be on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, LACMA, and MFAH. This exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and the Korea Foundation. Transportation assistance is provided by Korean Air. In Philadelphia, the exhibition is presented by The Exelon Foundation and PECO. Additional support is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Kathleen C. and John J. F. Sherrerd Fund for Exhibitions, the James and Agnes Kim Foundation, Sueyun and Gene Locks, Maxine S. and Howard H. Lewis, Dr. Sankey V. Williams and Constance H. Williams, Frank S. Bayley, Lois G. and Julian A. Brodsky, Dr. Young Yang Chung through the Seol Won Foundation US, Maude de Schauensee, Dr. Bong S. Lee and Dr. Mi W. Lee, James and Susan Pagliaro, and other generous individuals. The accompanying publication is supported in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Fund for Scholarly Publications. Promotional support is provided by The Korea Times Philadelphia. The exhibition is organized by the National Museum of Korea, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. As of January 24, 2013 TREASURES FROM KOREA: ARTS AND CULTURE OF THE JOSEON DYNASTY, 1392–1910 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This resource was written by Ah-Young Kim. Marla Shoemaker, The Kathleen C. Sherrerd Senior Curator of Education, and Barbara Bassett, The Constance Williams Curator of Education, School and Teacher Programs, guided this project with their many years of experience in art education and knowledge of Korean art and culture, and Rebecca Mitchell, Manager of Teacher Programs, shared her thoughtful and insightful ideas for this resource. Hyunsoo Woo, The Maxine and Howard Lewis Associate Curator of Korean Art, and Timothy Rub, The George D. Widener Director and Chief Executive Ofﬁcer, organized this magniﬁcent exhibition and provided rich, meaningful content. The Editorial and Graphic Design department, including Gretchen Dykstra, editor; Tiffany Lillegard, graphic designer; and Tammi Coxe, production manager, worked diligently to edit, design, and produce a high-quality teaching resource. 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS CONNECTIONS TO EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS Both national and Pennsylvania educational standards served as guidelines throughout the development of this teaching resource and helped determine the suggested classroom activities. In particular, the activities align with the following Common Core State Standards (see www.corestandards.org): College and Career Readiness Anchor Standard for Reading Standard 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing Standard 1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufﬁcient evidence. Standard 2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. Standard 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. Standard 10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reﬂection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening Standard 1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. Standard 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Standard 4: Present information, ﬁndings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. National Standards for Arts Education The activities also align with the following National Standards for Arts Education (see www.arteducators.org): Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions. (Students know the differences among visual characteristics and purposes of art in order to convey ideas, and describe how different expressive features and organizational principles cause different responses.) Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas. Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures. Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines. CONNECTIONS TO EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS 5 JOSEON EVENTS WORLD EVENTS 1347 The Black Death is brought to Italy by ships The Joseon dynasty begins in Korea, bringing 1392 ﬂeeing the Ukrainian city of Kaffa. with it the rise of Confucianism. 1400 King Sejong invents the Hangeul written language to 1443 promote literacy among all of his subjects. 1492 Christopher Columbus arrives in North America. 1500 1500 Explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral lands in Brazil and claims it for Portugal. 1501 Michelangelo begins work on his legendary sculpture, David. 1519 Ferdinand Magellan begins his voyage around the world. Japan invades Korea. 1520 Emperor Montezuma II dies, shortly before the 1593 fall of the Aztec Empire. 1600 1603 The rule of the Tokugawa Shoguns begins in Japan. 1607 English settlers establish the colony of The First Manchu Invasion results in a peace treaty 1627 Jamestown in Virginia. between Korea and the Manchu people. The Second Manchu Invasion begins. 1636 King Hyojong writes letters in Hangeul 1638 while being held hostage during the Second Manchu Invasion. 1700 The wedding of King Yeongjo and Queen 1759 Jeongsun is documented in a royal protocol. 1773 American colonists protest British tax policies by dumping East India Company tea into Boston Harbor. 1776 The second Continental Congress ratiﬁes the United States’ Declaration of Independence. 1789 The storming of the Bastille marks the beginning 1800 of the French Revolution. 1865 An amendment abolishing slavery passes Korean Catholics and French priests are persecuted 1866 narrowly in the US House of Representatives. by the Joseon government. In a counterattack by 1868 The Meiji Restoration leads to the end of France, many royal protocols are destroyed. feudalism in Japan. 1874 The ﬁrst exhibition of Impressionist art is Korea enacts a trade treaty with the United States. 1882 organized in Paris. Emperor Gojong declares the founding 1897 of the Korean Empire. 1900 Korea is occupied by Imperial Japan, marking the 1910 end of the Joseon dynasty. 1921 Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes publishes his ﬁrst poem. 1939 Germany invades Poland, beginning World War II. The Korean War begins. 1950 6 CHINA KOREA ō+$16(21* .25($ō-26(21'<1$67< -$3$1 $< 72' .25($ō NORTH KOREA CHINA ō3<21*<$1* ō6(28/ SOUTH KOREA -$3$1 WHAT WAS THE JOSEON DYNASTY? The Joseon (CHO-sun) dynasty was Korea’s longest-ruling Confucian dynasty, spanning over ﬁve hundred years, from 1392 to 1910. Art and culture of the Joseon dynasty ﬂourished mainly due to royal patronage and religious practices. The extensive scholarship, culture, and scientiﬁc inventions that originated during the dynasty profoundly shaped the culture and identity of Korea today. 8 WHAT WAS THE JOSEON DYNASTY? JOSEON FAITHS AND BELIEFS Several religions and philosophies inﬂuenced Korean society and artistic development. During the Joseon dynasty, Confucianism became dominant. However, Buddhist and Daoist ideals intermingled, creating a unique blend of thought and religion that guided all aspects of society. CONFUCIANISM Confucianism is a system of ethical rules designed to inspire and preserve the good management of family and society. It developed from ancient Chinese traditions and was codiﬁed by Confucius (551–479 BCE), a Chinese philosopher. Confucianism later spread to Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. Even today, Confucianism is integrated into every aspect of Korean culture. Confucianism recognizes Five Basic Human Relationships: Confucianism emphasizes Eight Important Virtues: ō Ruler and subject ō Filial piety (respect for one’s ō Loyalty ō Parent and child parents and ancestors) ō Integrity ō Older sibling and younger sibling ō Propriety ō Trust ō Husband and wife ō Benevolence ō Humility ō Friend and friend ō Righteousness BUDDHISM Buddhism is the Western name for a system of beliefs developed around the teachings of Buddha (c. 563–c. 483 BCE). About one-eighth of the world’s people are Buddhists. Buddha summarized life as Four Noble Truths: ō There is no escape from suffering in this world. ō Suffering is caused by desires. ō One must seek an end of suffering. ō To end one’s suffering, one must follow the Noble Eight-Fold Path: right views, right intentions, right speech, right actions, right livelihood, right efforts, right mindfulness, and right concentration. DAOISM Daoism is an ancient Chinese belief system founded during the sixth century BCE by the philosopher Laozi (604–531 BCE) and introduced to Korea during the Three Kingdoms period (57–668 CE). Daoism emphasizes harmony between people and nature, focusing on the cyclical rhythms of time and the worship of ancestors. JOSEON FAITHS AND BELIEFS 9 THE KING AND HIS COURT The highest artistic achievements of the Joseon dynasty can be found in objects produced for the king and the royal court. Often grand in scale and made with such luxurious materials as gold, silk, and imported minerals, the objects made for the court inﬂuenced the art and culture of all levels of Joseon society. THE KING AND HIS COURT 11 TEN The rocky mountains, ﬂowing waterfalls, and lush forest on this LONGEVITY screen create a safe, cozy habitat for many animals. A ﬂock of cranes SYMBOLS stand in the treetops and ﬂy high among the white clouds, enjoying a view of the bright red sun and the landscape below. Under the tall 18th century pine trees in the foreground, young bamboo plants and mushrooms Ten-fold screen; colors on paper grow within easy reach of a herd of hungry deer. Turtles surf the 98 3/ 4 ! 232 13/ 16 inches (250.8 ! 591.3 cm) Private Collection waves in the lower left. On the far right and far left, peach trees with branches full of ripe fruit lean into the scene. LET’S LOOK Featured in the screen are ten longevity symbols that express the Share your observations about this painting. What universal wish for a long, healthy life. These symbols appear in many catches your eye? kinds of Korean art, including ceramics, furniture, embroidery, and What kinds of animals metalworks. According to historical documents, Korean kings and and plants do you see? their courtiers exchanged pictures of these auspicious symbols at Where did the artist use the beginning of each new year. Such folding screens were placed straight lines? Curvy lines? behind the seat of the royal family during important ceremonies How do they help you look at all parts of the picture? and banquets, serving as both an emblem of good luck and a lavish What colors did the artist use? decoration. This particular screen was most likely produced for Where are the colors repeated? ceremonial use at court. What mood or feeling do you sense in the picture? Why? 12 THE KING AND HIS COURT TEN LONGEVITY SYMBOLS PINE TREE The pine tree is one of the most common CLOUDS As producers of rain, clouds sustain long life. symbols of longevity in East Asia. Because it remains In their swirling forms they contain the Daoist qi (chee), green even in the harshest winters, it stands for resilience, or breath of life. When their vapors gather around the endurance, and strength against adversity. The tree’s mountaintops, they represent the uniting of yin and yang, gnarled bark was thought to resemble an old man’s skin. soft and hard, changeability and permanence. The shape of A fourth-century Daoist text suggests that drinking the clouds in some Joseon dynasty paintings, like this screen, resin of a thousand-year-old pine will enable one to “live resembles the form of the mushroom of immortality, as long as the sun and the moon.” The pine tree, bamboo, reinforcing their connection to longevity. and plum tree are known as the Three Friends of Winter because they are evergreens. DEER Nibbling as they do on forest vegetation, deer are believed to have a special talent for snifﬁng out the SUN The sun is identiﬁed with longevity because it rises in elusive mushroom of immortality that grows high in the the sky each day, without fail. The sun and moon represent mountains. They are frequently shown as the companion the complementary yet opposing forces of yang and yin, of Shou Lao, the Daoist god of longevity. Ground horn which animate the cosmos in East Asian philosophy. The sun is of deer has long been used for medicinal purposes in pure yang, the male principle of the universe that is light and East Asia and is believed to promote health and long life. active and generates life. White Deer Lake on JeJu Island in Korea was said to be the place where immortals came “to bathe and drink in CRANE Cranes live long lives, some species as long as the milk of the white deer.” eighty years. In some Asian folktales they are said to live as long as ﬁve hundred years. Cranes mate for life, and therefore TURTLE Turtles are noted for their long life span. In symbolize harmony, a wish for a long marriage, and respect addition, with their dome-shaped upper shell, ﬂat lower for one’s parents and ancestors. Cranes also signify promotion shell, and legs in the four corners of their bodies, they were at court, as they appear in the rank badge of Joseon civil early emblems of the universe and the cardinal directions. In ofﬁcials. In Daoism the crane symbolizes transcendence and Korean mythology, the turtle is a messenger of good news serves as a means of transport to heaven. in water, its counterpart being the tiger, the messenger in the mountains. In this screen, streams of breath emanate WATER An almost universal symbol of life, fruitfulness, from the turtles’ mouths, perhaps delivering their sacred and abundance, water is linked to longevity across time. In messages. Daoist philosophy, water is one of the ﬁve eternal elements— together with earth, ﬁre, metal, and wood—that make up the MUSHROOMS The sacred, cloud-shaped lingzhi cosmos. A section of the important Daoist text Dao De Jing mushroom grants immortality to those who eat it. This reads, “Nothing under heaven is softer or more yielding than mushroom springs from the roots of trees that grow high in water; but when it attacks things hard and resistant there is not the mountains where the Daoist immortals live. According to one of them that can prevail.” legend, it can be found only by a deer, crane, or phoenix. MOUNTAIN Mountains and rocks keep their shape BAMBOO Bamboo is one of the most versatile and forever. The breathing of mountains is believed to activate abundant materials in East Asia, eaten by both humans and the universe. They are the abode of Eight Daoist Immortals animals and used to make everything from houses to paper. and on them are said to grow the mushrooms of immortality. It remains green throughout the four seasons and therefore In Korea and China, important state rituals were conducted symbolizes long life. Because it bends rather than breaks, in the mountains, and the dominant mountain peak became bamboo represents resilience, and its simple shape, humility. the emblem of the emperor. According to Confucian ideology, bamboo possesses the qualities of a great scholar: humility, uprightness, ﬂexibility of mind, and grace. THE KING AND HIS COURT 13 ROYAL PROTOCOL FOR THE ROYAL WEDDING OF KING YEONGJO AND QUEEN JEONGSUN 1759 These two pages are part of a much larger book, called a royal Book; ink and protocol, that was created for the wedding of King Yeongjo and colors on paper 18 9/16 x 13 5/16 inches Queen Jeongsun in 1759. This particular book was made for the (47.1 x 33.8 cm) king. Additional copies were given to other important members of National Museum of Korea, Seoul the ceremony to serve as a guide. The book, which describes only LET’S LOOK the wedding procession, is 291 pages long, with illustrations of What is going on in this picture? nearly 1,300 ﬁgures and more than 370 horses. How are the people dressed? What do they carry? Here we see an orderly procession of court attendants on foot and Who is walking? Who is riding? on horseback wearing colorful clothing and headdresses. At the Who is being carried? What might center of the left page, a group of men carry the queen’s palanquin that say about them? (enclosed carrier). Its elaborate roof is decorated with phoenixes at How are the people organized? the corners. Look closely to see the silhouette of the queen through What do you think it would the lattice window. On each side of the palanquin, escorting the feel like to be a part of queen to the royal palace, are women wearing veils and riding this procession? horses. These women serve as the queen’s attendants. Their veils 14 THE KING AND HIS COURT FPO indicate their high status. The procession continues on the right page, where more men and women ride on horseback and two men carrying large black fans follow just behind the palanquin. The words on the pages identify the key people in the event. THE KING AND HIS COURT 15 JAR WITH DRAGON DESIGN 18th to 19th century Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration Height 21 1/ 4 (53.9 cm) National Museum of Korea, Seoul LET’S LOOK This jar is decorated with a joyfully parading dragon, whose ﬁve Describe the colors and claws are said to be a symbol of the royal family and, speciﬁcally, the the decoration on this jar. king. In Korean mythology dragons are known as brave, conﬁdent, What do you notice about the and wise, with the power to control the rain and clouds. Surrounding dragon’s pose and expression? the dragon are small, simpliﬁed clouds and lotus ﬂowers with long, What patterns and designs curving petals. More ﬂoral and geometrical patterns decorate the do you see on the top and top (neck) and bottom (foot) of the jar, framing the ﬁerce creature. bottom of the jar? The potter formed this large jar on a rotating wheel in two parts and Compare this jar’s shape attached them at the shoulder, the widest part of the jar. and decoration to those of the water dropper (page 26). What is the same and different? Dragon jars were very popular among the ruling class during the Why might that be? Joseon dynasty. This one is painted with cobalt, a luxury pigment imported from China that creates a beautiful, rich blue. The use of cobalt for decorating porcelain was restricted to items produced for members of the ruling class or the royal household. The ﬁne materials and skillful technique indicate that this vessel was a product of the ofﬁcial kilns, reserved for the use of the royal family. It would have been used as an ornamental ﬂower vase or to hold wine during royal ceremonies. 16 THE KING AND HIS COURT CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL/ART Ten Longevity Symbols Decorate the folding screen template on page 44 of this book or the companion CD with your own good luck symbols. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL/SOCIAL STUDIES Create an Event Protocol The royal protocol documents an important wedding in pictures and words. Is there a special family gathering or school event that you enjoy? What does everyone wear? Where do they stand? How do they move? Explain in writing or drawing how the event should be planned and carried out. As a class, try using each other’s protocols to act out a scene. ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL/LANGUAGE ARTS Be a Reporter for the Royal Event View the animated scene from the royal protocol on the companion CD. Write about what you would hear, see, and smell. How would you feel? What would you be thinking? ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL/LANGUAGE ARTS Write a Quest Story Write a quest story about one of the objects in this book. Imagine that it was a part of the royal court and that it’s gone missing. Who owned it? Who took it? How was it lost? How was it found? Can you also incorporate characters from the portraits? ELEMENTARY SCHOOL/SOCIAL STUDIES, LANGUAGE ARTS, ART Dragons Are Powerful! Dragons are powerful creatures that are associated with kings and are believed to be made up of a combination of many great animals. Make a list of your favorite animals. Combine aspects of some or all of them to create a drawing of a powerful creature. Write a story about your creature’s power. 18 JOSEON SOCIETY JOSEON SOCIETY The paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts produced during the Joseon dynasty exemplify the complicated social system and segregation of social classes, ofﬁcial ranks, and genders. Joseon society was strictly ruled by Confucianism, the ofﬁcial state ideology. Under Confucianism, modesty, ﬁlial piety (respect for one’s parents and ancestors), frugality, pursuit of knowledge, and proper etiquette were highly valued. In addition, men and women were required to occupy different roles and spaces, even in their own households. Men’s living quarters, called the sarang-chae (sah rang che), consisted of several rooms, including a place to study, a bedroom, and a living room. Women and children resided in the an-chae (ahn che). Their rooms were sheltered in the innermost section of the household. JOSEON SOCIETY 19 WOMAN’S Dangui (dahng ui) were outer jackets worn by women as part of UPPER traditional Korean dress, called hanbok (hahn boak). Not all Joseon GARMENT women were entitled to wear dangui. Such garments were typically worn only by royalty, high-ranking nobility, and ladies of the court. (DANGUI) The higher the wearer’s rank, the more expensive and elaborate Early 20th century the materials and decorations would be. This particular dangui was Silk with gold-leaf decoration worn in the early twentieth century by a high-ranking noblewoman Length (front and back) 31 1/ 2 inches (80 cm) on visits to court. The garment is made of thin, slightly translucent Dankook University Seok Juseon Memorial Museum, Yongin, Korea green silk gauze over an inner layer of scarlet silk. It was fastened in LET’S LOOK front by tying the scarlet silk ribbons together. Strips of white cloth were separately sewn onto the collar and cuffs for easy removal and Describe the colors and patterns you see on this cleaning. piece of clothing. This dangui is embellished with symbols of good luck, such as the What do the designs gold bats on the collar. The Chinese word for bat is pronounced the remind you of? same as the word for good fortune. This led to bat images being How would you put this on? used in Korean and other Asian cultures’ art as symbols of luck. As Imagine you could wear bats were thought to live for a thousand years, they also became this garment. How would symbols of longevity. The Chinese word ᅼ䚜(ﬁrst character: life, you feel in it? second character: luck) is stamped on the garment in gold leaf, meaning both luck and longevity. 20 JOSEON SOCIETY COMB BOX 19th century Lacquered wood with mother-of- pearl inlay 11 5/8 ! 10 11/16 ! 10 1/16 inches (29.5 ! 27.2 ! 25.5 cm) National Museum of Korea, Seoul In the an-bang, the main room of the women’s quarters, or an-chae, LET’S LOOK one would expect to see distinctly feminine objects, such as this Look closely at each drawer on comb box. This box is made of lacquered wood and ornamented this box. What plants and with mother-of-pearl inlay and metal handles. The drawers were used animals do you see? to store accessories like combs, hair ornaments, mirrors, and waxed What patterns do you ﬁnd? paper to hold the strands of hair that fell out during combing. Burning How would each drawer open? of collected hair outside the doorway of the house at twilight on New What would you store inside? Year’s Day was believed to ward off bad luck and illnesses. The images on the front of the box symbolize fertility, luck, wealth, honor, and happy marriage. Mandarin ducks, like the pair on the right side of the bottom drawer, were believed to mate for life, representing harmonious marriage. On the left side of the bottom drawer, a pair of tortoises surfs on waves, symbolizing long life. On the left side of the top drawer, a pair of mythical phoenixes, also symbols of a harmonious marriage, eat bamboo fruit. The other three drawers of the box are decorated with pairs of peacocks whose elegant movements are admired and often associated with peace and prosperity. JOSEON SOCIETY 21 HANGEUL LETTER BY KING HYOJONG 1638 Ink on paper 15 3/16 ! 19 7/8 inches (38.5 ! 50.5 cm) National Museum of Korea, Seoul LET’S LOOK This writing is read from The division between men and women was also evident in language right to left, top to bottom. What do you notice when and education. Joseon women could not hold ofﬁcial government you look at it? positions, and were not expected to be educated at the same level What does the writing as men. For instance, women were not taught to read and write remind you of? in Chinese, which was used for ofﬁcial court documents as well as Try to copy some of the poetry and literature. This letter is written in Hangeul, the written writing. What do you enjoy? language of Korea invented in 1443 by King Sejong the Great with What is challenging? a group of scholars. The king created a new alphabet that was easy to learn, so that all his people, including women and commoners, could read and write. Both simple and beautiful, Hangeul is celebrated by Koreans in a national holiday each year. *UDQG3ULQFH Bong-rim (1619–1659), who was later named King Hyojong, wrote this letter to his mother-in-law in 1638, informing her of his and his wife’s well-being, after they had been sent to the Chinese Qing court as hostages following the Second Manchu Invasion of Korea. The identities of Han and Ga Gyung, who are mentioned in the letter, are unknown. They are most likely relatives of the prince. 22 JOSEON SOCIETY LETTER ఖ໴້ ༘છ૱ฦ Ⴆღၗ౞࿌㭴⽮࿼གྷఁพધᆵᎁฬ ྤාೡረ࿕ဉ࿼එ ဨ൘౅චၔඳᎁၯ࿼ ዽၦ๓ૐၡਜ਼൘ೡ࿼ఁ ధ࿽ྤාೡረ࿕໏ிၦఋ ਜ਼ઠၡኻხ౅พધၦ ௄ၦၿ჎႕ਜ਼གྷ๐࿼ఁ ူிၦఋხ൘྽ၻ⽮ ிၦఋ ඳၨૐဵཊᆷၩጭ TRANSLATION We are immensely grateful for the recent letters you kindly sent us. We are healthy and well, and Han will go there soon. I also received a letter from Ga Gyung and his conﬁdence makes me smile. Writing you brieﬂy on a slow day. On September 17, 1638 JOSEON SOCIETY 23 PORTRAIT OF YI JAE Late 18th century Hanging scroll; ink and colors on silk 38 1/ 2 x 22 3/16 inches (97.8 x 56.3 cm) National Museum of Korea, Seoul Photograph by Jung-youp Han, Han Studio LET’S LOOK Describe this man’s pose and expression. What do you notice about his clothing? What might these observations tell us The man in this portrait is Yi Jae, a high-ranking eighteenth-century about him? Compare this portrait government ofﬁcial and a Confucian scholar who wrote a celebrated ZLWKWKDWRI