A Geek in Korea. Daniel Tudor
and nature—and the label underneath will likely say “Artist Unknown.” The minhwa style we know today developed in the 1600s, and its practitioners were craftsmen, not famous and well-paid artists.
And like hanok, people lost interest in minhwa during the era of rapid economic development. Today, hanok, minhwa, and other forms of traditional Korean art are making a comeback. Koreans used to look on their history with a sense of shame or disappointment, but now they are discovering that there was also much to be proud of.
A tiger as portrayed in a minhwa painting from the Joseon Dynasty. The tiger is the representative animal of old Korea.
Which traditional art Forms are Winning New Fans?
BOJAGI This is a kind of square wrapping cloth. This does not sound terribly exciting, but bojagi is in fact very striking. It is made with multicolored scraps of fabric arranged in seemingly random fashion, and creates an effect reminiscent of Dutch artist Mondrian’s grid paintings.
An unusually complex example of bojagi, used by queens during the Joseon Dynasty.
PANSORI
Pansori is a form of song which enjoyed popularity in the late joseon era. a sorikkun (singer) performs accompanied only by a buk (a small drum) for as long as eight hours. there are two main lyrical themes. the first is love, such as is found in the “Song of Chunhyang,” a classic Korean tale that might be compared to romeo and juliet. the second is satire of the yangban aristocratic class. joseon was a feudal state in which the average person had a rough, downtrodden existence; pansori was the people’s way of entertaining themselves whilst venting their frustrations. In 2012, a very modern satirical pansori played in theaters nationwide—Jui-wang mollakgi (“the Fall of the rat King”), which poked fun at then-president Lee myung-bak.
Pottery
Korean ceramics have a 10,000 year history, so it is no surprise that this country produces quality pottery. Probably the best known type is Koryo Cheongja, which has a highly distinctive green celadon glaze, and sometimes featured elaborate styling and animal motifs. During the Joseon era, tastes were more austere and simple, elegant, white-glazed ceramics came into vogue. During the Japanese invasions of 1592–1598, master potters were abducted and sent to Japan. Their artistic descendants produced the famed Satsuma porcelain.
HANBOK Hanbok simply means “Korean dress.” For women, it consists of a jeogeori (jacket) and a high-waisted skirt, or chima. Men also wear jeogeori along with baji (trousers) and an overcoat, known as a durumagi. Traditionally, commoners wore white and royalty wore yellow, though other colors like red, blue, and indigo could also be seen. Traditionally, hanbok was big, loose-fitting, and modest; in the case of female hanbok, one could say it was deliberately designed to be un-sexy. These days, however, there are haute couture designers like Lee Young-hee, who make short-skirted hanbok.
A lady in royal hanbok. Note the difference in color and complexity between her outfit and the hanbok of the fellow on the left.
THE DANO FESTIVAL: DANCING, SINGING, DRINKING AND WRESTLING
Those who want to see the best elements of “old Korea” in one place should head to a Dano festival. The day of Dano falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, and its celebration dates from the days of the Mahan Confederacy, a grouping of pre-unified Korea states that existed from the first century BC until the third century AD. Its purpose was originally to celebrate the end of the crop sowing season, and offer worship to the shaman sky god in the hope of a successful yield.
A game of nol-ttwigi, in which participants jump up and down on see-saws, performing back flips and other acrobatic stunts. To do it well, a great deal of skill and confidence is required. I think I would probably break my neck if I tried nol-ttwigi!
A minhwa painting of a Dano festival. Dano has over a thousand years of history.
The biggest and best-known of such Dano festivals is held at the east coast town of Gangneung (in Gangwon Province). The Gangneung Dano itself has been designated by UNESCO as a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity,” having a history that stretches back over a thousand years.
WHAT HAPPENS AT A DANO?
UNESCO’s rather grandiose label belies the real sense of fun found at a Dano. The Dano festival today is a combination of shamanic rites and games. Groups of mudang collectively perform mass gut rituals replete with manic singing and dancing, to the beat of drums; young women jumping on see-saws turn somersaults ten meters in the air, in a game named nol-ttwigi; and wrestlers do battle all day long in Ssireum bouts. But above all, a Dano festival is simply a gathering of people, for the purpose of enjoyment. And to that end, alcohol is never far away. Korea is a drinker-friendly country, and always has been. At a Dano, participants will drink makgeolli (rice wine), beer, or soju, the most common Korean spirit.
When sufficiently encouraged by these, participants will be up on their feet, dancing to Korean folk songs. Perhaps contrary to expectation, it is mostly old people who enjoy doing this. One will see old men and women swaying from side to side, waving their arms in the air, with jovial grins etched on their faces as they sing along.
Nol-ttwigi participants are usually women. Legend has it that the game was invented by yangban women who wanted to see the world beyond the walls of their home. During the Joseon Dynasty, the role of the woman was often simply that of a housewife.
Dano are very popular with older people. This old lady plays on a swing, another feature of Dano.
Eumjugamu: Fun, Fun, Fun!
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