Coat Item Number: Ed1.307 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Long white ramie coat with long sleeves and an overlapping centre opening with ties. The coat has a V-neck with inner and outer facings of the same material and rounded corners at the lower edges. There is a narrower outer facing or collar of white silk-like fabric squared at the lower ends and hand-sewn in place. Two wide ribbon ties are attached at the mid-points of the wider facings and there are shorter, narrower ribbon ties on the inside. The sides of all ribbons were left unsewn. The sleeves are inset with straight seams with additional seams between elbow and wrist and slight convex curves at the lower edges. There are square reinforcements in the underarms. The coat has a centre back seam, a pair of flared gussets under each arm and a slightly flared panel descending from the mid-point of each outer facing so that the coat overlaps at the front when closed. The left facing has a wide hem as does the bottom of the garment. The sleeves have narrower hems. All seams are very narrow.

History Of Use

Such coats “Doo-ru-ma-gui” became a part of ordinary men’s formal wear in the early- to mid- Chosun Dynasty. At the end of the Chosun Dynasty, the government legislated the simplification of clothing. In the case of the “Doo-ru-ma-gui”, this meant the elimination of slits at the lower end of the side seams, and their replacement with a pair of flared gussets at each side. These often were pleated at the top for comfort. When men began wearing western-style vests with pockets after the opening of Korea to the outside world at the end of the 19th century, “Doo-ru-ma-gui” often were made with slits at waist level so that men could reach objects carried in their vest pockets. The double-thickness front panel and facings are traditional, as are the inner and outer ribbon ties. “Doo-ru-ma-gui” are still worn as festival wear. In the 1950s the white outer facing or collar was not stiffened with cardboard as it is now, but instead was made of Korean handmade paper or silk. The ramie fabric was hand-woven to a narrow loom width by masters who were members of a guild.

Specific Techniques

The cloth is hand-woven. The seams and hems are done with fine machine sewing. The white inner facing or collar is hand-sewn in place. The ribbon ties are hemmed on one side but not sewn together. The inner collar was starched.

Narrative

Most of the clothing in the J. McRee Elrod Collection was made for him and his family by friends while they were living in Korea, much of it by Kim, Sung Sook. She and her family lived cooperatively in the same house as the Elrod family. While they were there, the Elrods preferred to wear Korean clothing on very cold days and for social occasions. They found it to be more comfortable than western clothing in cold weather, as public buildings were unheated in the period immediately following the Korean War. It also was more comfortable for floor seating in Korean homes, and easier to store with limited furniture than western clothing. The children’s clothing was worn by their children Mark and Lona.

Item History

What

Name
Coat
Identification Number
Ed1.307
Type of Item
coat
Material
ramie fibre, cotton fibre, synthetic fibre and starch
Manufacturing Technique
spun, woven, cut and sewn
Overall
height 125.0 cm, width 150.5 cm

Who

Culture
Korean
Creator
Sung Sook Kim (Maker)
Previous Owner
J. McRee Elrod
Received from
J. McRee Elrod (Donor)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Seoul, Korea

When

Creation Date
between 1955 and 1960
Collection Date
between 1955 and 1960
Ownership Date
before October 13, 1976
Acquisition Date
on October 13, 1976

Other

Item Classes
textiles
Condition
good
Accession Number
0335/0001 e