ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Material

Manufacturing Technique

Date Made

Place Made

Date Collected

Date Owned

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Measurements

Condition

Current Location

Accession Number

Narrative

Collected by J. H. Morris while he was chief engineer for Seoul Railway, Korea.

Description

Figure representing a person on a flat backing of white paper. Front view is depicted of the figure which is made of cloth lightly padded to give a three-dimensional effect having each portion made of a separate piece of cloth with painted details. Hands are made of paper. Face is made of white silk. Figure's left hand is holding a folded green, and red paper umbrella. Black hair is in a low bun. Wearing a short purple-grey silk blouse having a tying on the right with ribbons of the same colour, an ankle-length light blue-green skirt fastened under the arms with a white cotton ribbon, white socks, and low green shoes. Two pieces of white flannel hemmed in light red-pink silk thread with a loop of the same at the top are glued to the paper backing.

History Of Use

Figure represents a married woman (indicated by bun at the nape of her neck) from late 19th to early 20th centuries. Such figures were made during the time when Korea was first open to the outside world (after the mid 1890s), probably as gifts to present to missionaries or other visitors from foreign countries. Flat dolls like these were very popular during the period 1910-20. Before that time, shamans made dolls that they sold to their clients, as images of those the clients wanted to exorcise. Simple dolls were made of straw for children to play with. After Korea opened, people began to see dolls as artistic objects. They were made in workshops by masters, using authentic fabrics whenever possible, as their purpose was to introduce foreigners to Korean society.
Parasols came into use when young women began to study in new schools, in about 1910. Their parents wanted them to cover their heads and faces with traditional coats, but the schools then provided them with umbrellas to cover their heads, which were used from about 1910-1930. Parasols were also used by ordinary women who had the means to buy them from about 1920-1930. At this time the jacket “Jo-go-ri” became somewhat longer than previously.

Specific Techniques

The clothing was stitched around the edge and then a layer was added inside the clothing. Each section was separately applied and pasted in place. The details were finely painted.

Iconographic Meaning

This woman’s clothes indicate that she is of ordinary social class, but the fact that she is not poor is indicated by her new mode decorated parasol. Her hair style, a bun wrapped around a long hairpin, “Bi-nyeo”, indicates that she is married.