The Joseon princess’s wedding dress is coming!
A precious red silk obtained by dyeing dozens of times with safflower, which blooms in August.
Phoenixes, mandarin ducks, and flowers were beautifully embroidered on this red silk.
This dress, which gives off a noble feel with its gorgeous gold leaf decorations, is the red Hwalot, the ‘wedding dress of a Joseon princess.’ The traditional bow, which was reborn with 100 million won donated by
World Star BTS member RM to preserve and restore cultural heritage, will soon be revealed to the public.
Starting on the 15th of this month, the National Palace Museum of Korea will open a special exhibition titled ‘Mangae Hwalot (滿開) – Joseon Royal Women’s Wedding Dress’, a special exhibition that gathers in one place a total of 110 pieces related to ‘Joseon royal women’s wedding dresses’ Hwalot.
Hwalot refers to a long outer garment that continues our traditional clothing.
In the Joseon Dynasty royal family, it was recorded as ‘hongjangsam’ (紅長衫) in the sense of a long red robe. Later, it became established as a formal attire worn by brides at weddings not only in the royal family but also in the private sector.
It is said that about 50 pieces of Hwalot, which are considered to be the most beautiful among the royal ceremonial clothes of the Joseon Dynasty, remain, including about 30 pieces in Korea and 20 pieces overseas.
This exhibition begins with an introduction to the royal weddings of the Joseon Dynasty and their procedures, followed by ‘National Wedding Ceremony’ (國婚定例), which summarizes the contents of royal weddings, and Princess Deokon (1822-1844), the third daughter of King Sunjo (reigned 1800-1834). You can take a look at the literature recording the wedding process and wedding items.
In addition, you can also see round fans used to cover 안전놀이터the bride’s face during weddings, and candlesticks that illuminate the darkness and add solemnity at the Donghoeyeon (a type of reunion ceremony where the bride and groom eat together after marriage) that begins at sunset.
Cultural Heritage Protector’ RM donated 100 million won to revive the Joseon princess’ bow clothes
The key thing that should not be missed in the exhibition hall is the 9 pieces of bow clothes that are full of elegance.
Including the actual bow worn by King Sunjo’s second daughter, Princess Bokon (1818-1832), various bow suits owned by the American Field Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Cleveland Museum of Art will be displayed to visitors. Among them , the Hwalot of
the Los Angeles County Museum of Art ( LACMA ), which is being unveiled for the first time, is of particular note. This bowot has been preserved with 100 million won donated by BTS member leader RM
(real name Kim Namjoon) in 2021 to preserve and restore cultural heritage.
This Hwa-ot, embroidered on dark red silk with lotus flowers, peonies, phoenixes, butterflies, and other embroidery for the couple’s marriage and happiness, is believed to have been made in the early 20th century. Among the extant Hwa-lot relics, its shape and color are in a good state of preservation. It is evaluated as having great cultural value.
Jo Ji-hyeon, a curator at the National Palace Museum who planned this exhibition, explained, “It was brought to Korea in October of last year, and the hem around the embroidery was cleaned up and overall stains and adhesives were removed.”
In a written interview conducted with the Overseas Cultural Heritage Foundation last June, RM said, “I hope that (through the preserved Hwalot), many people around the world will have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful and excellent traditional culture of Korea.”The special exhibition ‘Full Bloom of Hwalot – Joseon Royal Women’s Wedding Wear’, where you can experience the beauty of Hwalot and the hope for a happy life contained in it, will be held on the 2nd floor of the National Palace Museum from September 15 to December 13. It is held in the exhibition room.
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