Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 15. (Budapest, 1995)

NAGY Ildikó: Hagyományos koreai ruhadísz a Hopp Ferenc Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzeum koreai gyűjteményében

over their costume. The pleated hood-type part covered the head and hid nearly the whole face, too. Clothing for men consisted of shirt-like jacket upper part (also called a chogori) and trousers cut wide at the seat with the legs (paji) tied at the ankles. Men wore trapezoid, lined, long wide-cut garments with loose sleeves (turumagi) as overcoats. The pattern of the cut of the upper part corresponded to that of the chogori, the two sides of the front part tied with one-sided ribbonties too. Its lenght and longitudinal fashion lines have changed to some respect in the course of time; the same is true of the hat with its characteristic shape (kat) worn with the overcoat.

1 These garments were worn with a simple lining or were lined with padding in line with the seasons and climatic conditions. As everyday wear was long, the underclothes were also made in accordance with these long measurements. The undecorated fans and small bags were important accessories to traditional Korean menswear. They were attached to the waist of the costume and were used for carrying the most necessary small articles of everyday use. Ornamented fans and colourful embroidered satin purses in which cosmetic articles were kept belonged to women's dress. Since garments for both men and women were made without pockets, these bags and purses were indispensable. Costumes for children corresponded to those of adults; only the headgear and footwear of the ! boys and girls differed from each other. The , boys had a small bag at their waist while the girls had a tasseled hanging ornament which, according to their beliefs preserved them from all evil.

4 The characteristic decoration of traditional women's dress was the norigae, a tightly bound tassel composition with ornamented pendants. Variously shaped ornaments consisting of braiding and knotting (maedup) formed the hanging arms (chak) -these are consisting mostly of one, three or five hanging arms- of the norigae; these were made from colourful silk strings twisted together. Of this type were the paired;ear pattern, the ear pattern consisting of two ornamented parts, the fly, star, plum-blossom, small rhombus, large rhombus and the most frequently used endless knot and butterfly patterns.

5 The beauty of the finely undulating surfaces of the braided ornaments is increased by the colours of the harmonious and natural tonality of the silk threads. On the hangigng threads or the braided patterns of the norigae are hung various kinds of decoration: coral, jade, malachite, amber, pearl and goldsmith's ornaments of gold, silver or copper covered with gold, and embroidered figures made from textile.

6 The braids of the hanging strands are threated through a fastening button (ttidon) supplied with an U-shaped fastener, which in turn is fastened by means of a hook to the dress band or to the jacket tied chest-high. At every movement various kinds of ornament on the coloured silk braid swung this way and that, together with the tassels. The most favourite pendant ornaments were: a small container or box of perfume, a folding tooth-pick container, a miniature knife (a symbol of virtue in women), butterfly-shaped ornaments individually or in pairs (a symbol of longevity, and very common in the various works of popular art during the Choson dynasty), a bat, a fish, a cluster of grapes (symbols of the birth of many male descendants), an axe-head, and a lotus-flower (symbolizing good fortune in giving birth to sons). The symbolic meaning of the motifs of pendant ornaments was widely known: the peony symbolized wealth and respect, the tinder fungus and cicada longevity, the chrysanthemum, plum-blossom, orchid and bamboo symbolized moral purity and the lotus flower meant -among other things- highmindedness and intellectual elevation.

7 The motifs on the materials used to make clothing often corresponded with the ornaments of the norigae. The norigae fulfilled had not only a decorative function: protective strength was attributed to it through its symbols. It brought good luck and happiness to its wearer and kept evil spirits away. Therefore tiger claws, wild animal masks and tusks can be found among the pendant ornaments of the norigae}