Jungji Doh: Embroidery as Cultural Heritage 도정지: 한국의 문화유산, 전통자수
The art of embroidery has been appreciated in the Korean Peninsula for thousands of years. By at least the second century, embroidered Chinese silks were valued trade goods. These imports influenced Korean embroidery practices, which, along with the clothing and textiles they adorned, were indicators of rank and status.
Korean embroidery practice flourished in the Goryeo period (918-1392). Evolutions in style and technique were inspired by the Chinese Song style of “embroidery painting,” which replicated the naturalism, precision, and soft gradation of shade achieved with ink. Folding screens with embroidered panels from the late Goryeo period attest to the recognition of embroidery as a standalone artform that brings beauty to daily life.
Two distinct embroidery practices existed during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Gungsu means embroidery for the royal court. It was produced by court women in specialized studios that involved formal training and standardized techniques. Minsu, or folk embroidery, refers to a domestic practice that was passed down generationally between women. Minsu is said to reflect the personality of its maker, providing a space for women to express their artistic sensibility within the rigid social structure of the time. In the late 17th century, gungsu became more widespread when commoners were permitted to wear wedding attire based on royal robes. Since then, embroidery has been used to impart wedding robes, as well as accessories and objects used in the wedding ceremony, with symbolic meaning. Floral and animal motifs express wishes for marital harmony, longevity, and fertility.
This exhibition brings together the numerous embroidered surfaces of the wedding ceremony, including the bride and groom’s robes, guest attire, and wrapping cloths and boxes for the customary exchange of gifts. Every piece was embroidered by Jungji Doh in a style based on existing objects from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 2016, Jungji Doh was awarded the distinction of Master of Intangible Cultural Property in Traditional Korean Embroidery by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. While embroidery is tangible, “intangible” culture recognizes the immaterial knowledge, traditions, and customs that sustain cultural heritage. As such, in addition to Doh’s exquisite technical skill, the pieces in this exhibition also reflect generations of intangible meaning and knowledge.
