5 Interesting Artefacts At ACM’s Joseon Korea Exhibition

Hannah Pang
Jul 21, 2017 · 6 min read
Poster wall at ACM

Finally, I visited the Joseon Korea: Court Treasures And City Life exhibition at Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) before it closes this Sunday.

The exhibition, which started in April, was intellectually and visually satisfying as it attempted to condense the vicissitudes of Joseon’s 500-year history (1392–1897) by relating stories of more than 150 artefacts.

It is opportune as many Singaporeans have gradually come to embrace the Hallyu wave that swept the region over the last decade with an equal measure of Kpop and Korean cinema/TV (think makjang, variety shows, thriller films and period dramas).

Having amassed years of consuming South Korean culture (and/or studying Korean contemporary literature and history like I did), I suppose Singaporeans are now more comfortable with Korean history lessons, which would otherwise have been entirely uninteresting and irrelevant.

If you’re planning a visit to the exhibition before it closes on Sunday, you can follow ACM’s Facebook for updates and recommended artefacts. Alternatively, you can leaf through this post for five artefacts that I found interesting and worth exploring.


1.Map of Joseon Dynasty

Visitors are welcomed by the Joseon Dynasty’s map at the start of the exhibition. Maps are captivating and instructive because what is and is not represented brings to light the historical context and the cartographer’s political inclinations. Clue: East Sea.

It is unclear which Joseon era this map sought to represent; 500 years under 27 kings is a long time, and land names and masses alter over time. This map seems to reflect the first 100–200 years of Joseon, during which Hanyang was designated the capital. This is because Hanseong had become the preferred name of the capital since the reign of King Sejong (the 4th), or perhaps slightly earlier.

In addition, Hamgyeong (one of the eight Joseon provinces) received its name only around early 16th century. Hamgyeong was named after its two primary cities Hamhung and Kyongseong. Between 1413 and 1509 alone, Hamgyeong had been renamed at least twice.

At first glance, the concentrated distribution (seven in the north and 15 in the south) of provincial governors’ offices in the south appeared to reflect the present-day division between North and South Korea, with sparser details attributed to the North (the modern day Joseon). Probably.

But the map also hinted at the turbulent domestic climate of that era, where the north and the south shared conspicuous cultural and political differences (northern Koreans were deemed unruly and prohibited from assuming office for most of the Joseon Dynasty) while the northern border faced the threat of Jurchen invasion.

2. Portrait of Choe YeonHong

Choe YeonHong’s Portrait

Choe YeonHong’s portrait holds much cultural and political significance because notwithstanding her gender (strict Confucian values did not permit male painters to paint portraits of women) and former livelihood as a gisaeng, she came to feature in what became Korea’s first mother-and-child portrait.

The portrait, painted by former court painter Chae Yongsin in 1914, also became enshrined in Uiyeolsa Shrine in Pyongyang, modern day North Korea.

Choe YeonHong is remembered as a chaste woman for her patriotic acts during the Hong Gyeongrae rebellion that broke out in northern Joseon in 1811. She had tended to the dead body of Gasan county governor Jeongshi who died in the skirmish, an act that was highly extolled.

Unlike female paintings that aroused the sensuality of Korean women (think Miindo) or solo portraits of famous women like Kim Man Deok, Choe YeonHong’s portrait resembled prevalent images of Mary and Jesus in Christian iconography. Some surmise that Chae could have been influenced by Western art, but the facial illustration and colours applied aligned with conventional Korean art.

3. Plum Blossoms Under The Moonlight

Eo Mongryong’s Plum Blossoms Under The Moonlight

If you look intently enough at this 16th century painting of plum blossoms on a winter night, you just might spot the obscure moon. Painter Eo Mongryong, magistrate of Jincheon under King Seonjo (the 14th), cleverly depicts night time with a darkened and almost indiscernible backdrop while accentuating the winter plum blossoms with firm, upright branches — such a contrast is compelling.

Plum blossoms are a symbol of winter and harbinger of spring; they also represent hope and tenacity, as well as the upright spirt and integrity of the literati. Perhaps this explains the popular depiction of plum blossoms in paintings across Asia even today.

4. Jeong YeolSang’s Answer Sheet For Saengwonsi Examination

Jeong YeolSang’s Answer Sheet For Saengwonsi Examination

During the Joseon dynasty, the traditional civil service examination had two segments (see diagram below): the Classics Licentiate examination (sogwa) and the higher-level Erudite examination (daegwa). Saengwonsi is one of the sogwa examination on Confucian classics.

Extracted from Lee et al. (2014)’s Korean History in Maps, p83.

On the top right-hand corner of his Saengwonsi examination answer sheet, Jeong YeolSang penned the name and occupations of his father, grandfathers and paternal great-grandfather. This information was deemed necessary to verify his eligibility to take the examination. Very interesting and kind of reflective of present-day Korea, isn’t it?

The first line on the right is the examination question and the rest of the writing is Jeong YeolSang’s answer. I was quite excited to be able to read the first few lines of comprehensible traditional Chinese characters, but I soon got disoriented amidst the chunk of unpunctuated writing. Punctuation would come only much later in the 19th century in Joseon and the rest of the world.

One not-so-trivial point to add: Jeong YeolSang passed the examination at 59! His achievement led to immense fortune and prestige for himself, his family and his entire lineage, and enabled them to maintain high status in the local community as yangban. Indeed, age is no obstacle; think plum blossoms, have hope and tenacity in life!

5. The Sun, Moon and Five Peaks

The Sun, Moon and Five Peaks six-fold screen

The designs of many Joseon artefacts are symbolic and represented by specific colours, animals and, on this six-fold screen (which, in itself, depicts divine support for the king), gifts of nature.

The white sun and red moon cast against the blue backdrop symbolises yin and yang, and have been illustrated in Korean folklore with gendered meanings (which some may relate to the 2012 Korean drama titled ‘Moon Embracing the Sun’).

The five peaks represent the five elements: earth, fire, water, wood, and metal, which are closely associated to the five cardinal colours blue, red, and yellow, white, and black. These colours also symbolise seasons and directions. The waves of beneath the peaks ensure circulation of the five elements.

Pine trees on the left and right are an emblem of infinite energy and longevity of the king and his kingdom. It is believed that their roots represent the ancestors and the budding branches descendents. Pine trees can also withstand long, harsh winters and emerge stronger, sturdier than ever before.

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Hannah Pang

Written by

Cyber intelligence analyst, literary translator, and international studies scholar.

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