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Iconographic Meaning

Such bags symbolized wishes for long life, immortality, and safety from evil influences. The Chinese characters represent auspicious wishes.

Specific Techniques

The red silk forming the outside of the bag was embroidered and couched, and cut into the shape that would form the bag. With the embroidered side facing in, the outside was sewn to the lining. The bag was then turned right-side out through a small hole and worked into shape, after which it was laced together forming pleats and the cord knotted elaborately at both ends, and the tassels attached..

Description

A small round bag made of red silk damask lined with white cotton fabric. Top of the bag is closed with pleating threaded onto two red cords joined at the ends with elaborate red, and gold knots and four tassels, two at each end. Two tassels are light green and pink while the other two are dark blue and yellow. All tassels are wrapped with gold thread at the top. Each tassel thread ends in a tiny circle. The upper edge of the bag is folder under to join the white cotton lining with an invisible seam. There are embroidered designs, some with gold couching, on both surfaces of the bag. On one side, there are four Korean? characters in different colours, below which, there are floral images. Below them, at the centre, there are two birds facing each other on a rainbow pattern. The other side of the bag is embroidered with pink and yellow flowers on green stems.

History Of Use

Although such bags were used by both men and women, bags with these colours and decorations were used by women. Before western influences reached Korea, clothing did not have pockets, and such bags were used to carry small articles. They were attached to the waist ties of women’s skirts (chima) or men’s pants ( ). As they hung outside their clothes, they looked colourful and pretty, and their functions were more decorative than practical. They were the only decorations on people’s clothing. The decorations were royal prerogatives, although they eventually also became luxury items for high-class people. Kings and queens sometimes presented them to their family members to wish them good fortune and long life, and to exorcise evil influences. After the opening of Korea to the outside world in the late 19th century, they began to disappear from use, as people could then have pockets. Young female students liked to have them even after the modernization of Korea, as their teachers admired them. Bags of this type were probably January gifts, conveying wishes for good fortune for the whole year.