Special exhibition to be held for Emperor Gojong’s royal clothing

Special exhibition to be held for Emperor Gojong’s royal clothing. October. 10, 2017 08:10. by Won-Mo Yu onemore@donga.com. An exhibition will take place to present a restored version of the royal clothing designated as emperor’s clothing when Emperor Gojong declared Korea an empire. Royal clothing refers to a formal dress including the crown and other accessories.

According to Kyungwoon Museum on Monday, the museum will hold a special exhibition titled “The Korean Empire and its Dignity Found in Royal Clothing,” where the 12-pattern dress and 12-laced crown worn by the emperor of the Korean Empire are showcased. The 12-pattern dress is the emperor’s dress with 12 different patterns such as the sun, moon, star, mountain and the dragon, and the crown features 12 laces for stringing jewelry beads. The whole clothing to be displayed this time is comprised of 13 pieces including the black top, traditional Korean overcoat, belt and embroidered socks.

Following the dress code of China’s Ming Dynasty, the kings of the Joseon Dynasty wore the clothes of a feudal lord characterized by a 9-pattern dress and a 9-laced crown. But when adopting the status of an empire, King Gojong designated the 12-pattern dress and 12-laced crown as official royal clothing as coequal with the Chinese emperor.

The exhibition presents the clothes and belongings left by Emperor Gojong, Emperor Sunjong, and King Uichin as well as the photo works of Deoksu Palace by photographer Seo Heon-kang. The museum is located inside Kyunggi Girls’ High School in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and the exhibition will run until February 28, 2018.