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Iconographic Meaning

The colour burgundy, seen in the tiny stitches at the top of the bag, is a royal prerogative. The rock and wave designs, coloured like a rainbow “saek-dong”, are like those on officials’ robes, and the embroider has added various auspicious symbols.

Specific Techniques

The fabrics forming the outside of the bag were embroidered and couched, cut, and the burgundy fabric appliquéd onto the light blue-green fabric, forming a square overall. With the embroidered side facing in and folded over at the edge, the outside was sewn to the lining. The bag was then turned right-side out through a small hole, folded into shape, and stitched at the top, after which it was laced together and the cord knotted elaborately. The tiny stitches at the top fixing the outside to the inside are an official style, called “Ne-ttam-sang-chim” (four-times stitched-outer).

Description

A small flat bag made of light blue-green and burgundy silk damask embroidered on both sides. At the top, the light blue-green fabric is joined to a red silk lining with an invisible seam held flat by groups of very fine stitches. Main body of the bag is shaped like a vertical rectangle with triangular projections on both sides created by folding and holding the folds in place with a pink cylindrical cord. The lower edge and the triangular projections at the sides of the bag are made of the burgundy silk which has been appliquéd onto the other fabric. Many motifs are embroidered onto the bag, all of which are heavily outlined in bright gold couching, sometimes with double threads. Motifs include stylized waves and rocks on the burgundy part with a swastika on each side at the bottom centre. On the pale blue-green part, there is a stylized Chinese ? character on each side at the top, below which, there is a fungus-like shape on the back. On the front, there is a stylized Chinese ? character, below which, there are two fungus-like shapes. Below this, there are two Chinese ? characters and a fungus-like design coming out of a rainbow-patterned circular form. The pink cord is worked into an elaborate knot ending in four loops and two knotted ends at the front and is knotted forming double loops on the back.

History Of Use

Before western influences reached Korea, clothing did not have pockets, and such waist bags “gui-jo-mo-ni” were used to carry small articles. “Gui” means “ears”, referring to the points on the bag. 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 functional. They were the only decorations on people’s clothing. Although such bags were used by both men and women, both the colours and decorations on this bag indicate it was used by a woman. 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 as elaborate as this one were probably from the palace, or the very high class of society. They might have been given to relatives of the royal family. Such bags were made by court maids, “ja-su-sang-goong” (literally: embroidery court lady). A person could make only a few of these in her lifetime.