Painted screens and porcelain ware that used decorative motifs and designs are the main subjects in this exhibition to explore pattern and decoration during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) in Korea. Dragons, peonies, books, and scholarly accoutrements are among the most popular subjects that developed into decorative patterns in response to social and cultural changes during the 1700s and 1800s. By highlighting patterns and colours, this presentation explores how Korean art vividly originated and offered powerful codes of communication, for example, peonies that symbolised prosperity and the mythical dragon that had the power to make rain. A vase in the exhibition offers a sinuous depiction of a dragon flying through the clouds to catch a flaming, wish-granting pearl called a cintamani. In the royal court, the shorter type of dragon jar was used to hold wine, the tall type, such as this one, was for holding a bouquet of flowers.
Folding screens were extremely popular during the 18th an 19th centuries and became an integral part of daily life, used by the court as well as in domestic homes. They functioned as both interior decoration, as well as art objects in their own right, often decorated with auspicious symbols. On such screens and sliding doors in royal palaces, which promoted the idea of strength, continuous reign, and longevity, the Ten Longevity symbols (sip jangsaeng do) were popular and used to emphasise this idea. Originating in the Daoist culture of immortality this theme included a group of natural objects, animals, and plants associated with longevity, selected from a pool of 13 objects: sun, moon, cloud, mountain, rock, water, crane, deer, tortoise, pine tree, bamboo, fungus, and heavenly peach. Sipjangsaeng do emphasise the imaginary heavenly world by making the most of the beauty of elaborate details and vivid colouring. And it is characterised by the use of a blue-green landscape style, especially when describing mountains and rocks.
Over time, as the 10 symbols of longevity gradually gained popularity, new types of paintings were created emphasising particular elements, each with their own names. For example, Ilwolbando do depicted the sun moon and peaches, haehakbando do featured cranes and peaches with a seascape background, gunhak do featured flocks of cranes, gunrok do depicted deer and pine trees. Although the iconography originated in China, the particular grouping and choice of objects is uniquely Korean.
The folding screens seen at court used symbols connected to the principles and procedures used for state rituals based on Neo-Confucian texts imported from China. These screens, used during court ceremonies, were prominently displayed and conveyed ritually correct meanings that related to the ceremony. Royal screens portraying themes of the sun, moon, and the five peaks (iworobong do) were traditional used to convey kingship and placed behind the throne of the ruler.
Chaekgeori are a unique type of Korean still-life painting, translated as ‘books and things’, and were a popular theme for painted screens, depicting scholarly objects, exotic luxuries, symbolic flowers, and gourmet delicacies dispersed in artful arrangements on bookshelves. Such screens were praised by King Jeongjo (reigned 1776–1800), and were enthusiastically collected by the educated elite throughout the 19th and early 20th century in Korea. By the late 1800s, chaekgeori screens embellished the studies of scholars and aristocrats as well as the homes of middle-class merchants. The primary motif of chaekgeori is books, the objects Korean intellectuals traditionally associated with knowledge and social distinction. Preferred by the court and elite classes, chaekgado, translated as ‘picture of bookshelves’, is a subgenre of chaekgeori developed in the second half of the 18th century that represents a Korean collectors’ desire to amass books on diverse topics to express their aesthetic discernment. This desire for books and other commodities, including writing implements, exotic foreign luxuries, symbolic flowers and gourmet delicacies, set in motion a significant social and cultural shift toward a fascination with material culture.
The careful, detailed organisation of extensive events marking political appointments, birthdays, weddings, funerals, and other occasions in Joseon society sprang from the Confucian principle that ritual and order are the foundations of a stable, peaceful civilisation. All these rituals included auspicious motifs in various forms, using such symbols to wish for longevity, wealth, and happiness. Other popular themes from the late Joseon period include 100 children, lotuses, and bird and flower paintings. Fish symbolised fertility and were often featured on furniture and other items used by women and found on a variety of objects, such as sewing boxes used to store fabric or tools related to sewing. The legacy of Joseon dynasty – among the world’s longest– continues to resonate in Korean culture today.
Until 30 March, 2025, Cleveland Museum of Art, clevelandart.org