Independent contents based on certain country’s own culture are rising as high value-added cultural industry, so developing design based on traditional dressing is getting more attentions. Although basic research on Korean dressing is needed, existi...
Independent contents based on certain country’s own culture are rising as high value-added cultural industry, so developing design based on traditional dressing is getting more attentions. Although basic research on Korean dressing is needed, existing studies on Korean dressing mostly have been focused on Jo-seon dressing, thus comprehensive understanding of Korean dressing is lacking. Existing studies on ancient dressing has focused on design dressing study such as outer form, materials, and color, so it is meaningful to establish identity of Korean dressing by illuminating aspects of dressing aesthetics, and, furthermore, one can use the results as source of fashion design with higher level.
Research goals are as follow. First, this study examines ideas, lives, and culture of Goguryeo, and reviews interrelation between these and Goguryeo dressing, and forms by types of dress. Second, it reviews Goguryeo’s recognition of beauty, then defines and categorizes aesthetic features of Goguryeo’s art works. Third, this study examines how aesthetic types of Goguryeo shown in art works are reflected in dressing.
Research results following these search purposes are as follow.
First, Goguryeo’s territory included north part of Korean peninsula and east-northern part of China, and the country had amicable and hostile relationships with neighboring countries including Baek-Je, Shin-la, Jeon-Yun, Hu-Yun, Buk-Wi, and Dol-Gueol, and Goguryeo’s people who pursued expansion of territory had warlike and martial temperament. Based on the idea of offsprings of heaven, they regarded themselves as center of the world, were good at hunting, and had openness free from differences of men and women. Types of Goguryeo’s dressing include men’s Jeogori (Sam, 衫), Po(袍), and trousers(Go, 袴) as basic ones, and women’s Jeogori (Sam, 衫), Po(袍), trousers(Go, 袴), Bansueui(半袖衣), and skirts(Gun, 裙) as basic ones. There has no big difference in terms of dressing organization or types. Color of dressing in Goguryeo differed according to social class. Dominating class used splendid colors such as five Bang colors and five Gan colors, and normal people used natural colors such as beige, white and brown. Main patterns on dressing include geometric ornaments and flame ornaments.
Second, recognitions of aesthetics extracted from art works of Goguryeo include ‘progressive beauty’, ‘dynamic beauty’, ‘simple beauty’, and ‘natural beauty’. Progressive beauty is based on martial feature, and it stands for sturdiness, toughness, leadership, and autonomy. Goguryeo’s art works transcend grief from armed conflicts as a destiny accompanied by geographic location to be optimistic beauty. Dynamic beauty is expressed by movement and rhythmic sense that seem to be based on life that can be understood by the concept of biologicalization of non-biologic. Simple beauty can be explained by utility focused on simpleness as being and goals themselves without luxury, rather than by splendid and decorative skills. Natural beauty is based on East-asian philosophies that teaches that everything is part of nature based on natural union and natural conformity. It is expressed by pure concentration on receptiveness to nature excluding self, and by symbolic expressions of nature worship.
Third, progressive beauty of Goguryeo’s dressing was expressed by women’s wearing trousers and by dress enhancing activity by attaching Dang. In Goguryeo, men and women wore same dress and design of women’s dress did not express feminity. These features seem to be caused by an attitude favoring augustness and gallantness rather than emphasizing gender roles of men and women. Room of dress that prevents dress to be too tight and makes it abundant showed sturdiness, and it showed autonomy through autonomous dressing culture different from Chinese dressing. Dynamic beauty was shown by rhythmic sense expressed by repeated points, rectangles, and multi-colored stripes, and by shakes according to movement of human body using ball accessaries and feather decoration. Simple beauty can be shown from the facts that organization of ancient dressing is basic design consists of circle, rectangle and angle from the idea of heaven, land, and people, that form was simplified rather than adding patterns or accessaries, that techniques were pursued by simple colors arrangement effect, and that practicability of head-gear was emphasized in order to prevent hair from falling. Natural beauty is expressed by patterns symbolizing objects of worship such as sun and birds and by feather decoration; and shown in the use of natural colors such as beige, white, and brown, in irregular patterns that seem to be marked by hand printing, and in the beauty of line of naturally peaked shoes and collar.
These examinations of dressing aesthetics can be used as basic study for establishing identity of Korean dressing. Furthermore, I hope this study to be a corner stone for development of higher level of design reflecting Korean aesthetics.