Overview[ edit ] "Dancing together holding with two swords" from Hyewon pungsokdo depicting geommu sword dance performing during Joseon dynasty Korean traditional dance originated in ancient shamanistic rituals thousands of years ago. By the time of the later Korean kingdoms, Goryeo and Joseonin the 2nd millennium AD, Korean traditional dance benefited from regular support of the royal court, numerous academies, and even an official ministry of the government. A number of different dances gained permanent high status, including the Hermit dance, the Ghost dance, Buchae Chum the fan danceSeung Mu the Monk dancethe Oudong Entertainer dance and others, despite the fact that many had humble origins.
The history of music in Korea should be as long as Korean history itself, but it was only in the early 15th century, during the reign of King Sejong of the Joseon Dynastythat Korean music became a subject of serious study and was developed into a system, resulting in the creation of the oldest mensural notation system, called jeongganbo, in Asia.
Traditional Korean music is typically classified into several types: Of the numerous folk songs, Arirang—inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in —is particularly cherished by the common people as there are many variations with special lyrics and melodies devised to touch their hearts.
The Korean people have also developed a wide range of musical instruments. These traditional musical instruments are generally divided into three categories: A traditional form of Korean dance usually performed by groups of Traditional korean dance dancers holding fans with floral designs on them.
Of these, talchum mask dance and pungmul nori play with musical instruments are known for their satirical targeting of the corrupt aristocracy of Joseon and their close connection with rural communities, which had long been the bedrock of Korean culture and tradition.
Most performances are presented in a marketplace or on the fields and involve drumming, dancing, and singing. Chusa, Joseon, 19th century Painting and Calligraphy Painting has always been a major genre of Korean art since ancient times.
The art of ancient Korea is represented by the tomb murals of Goguryeo 37 B. The artists of Goryeo were interested in capturing Buddhist icons and bequeathed some great masterpieces, while the literati elite of Joseon was more attracted to the symbolism of plants and animals, such as the Four Noble Lords Sagunja, namely, the orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo, Traditional korean dance plum tree and the Ten Creatures of Longevity Sipjangsaengas well as idealized landscapes.
Korea in the 18th century saw the arrival of two great artists, Kim Hong-do and Sin Yun-bok, both of whom developed a passionate interest in depicting the daily activities of ordinary people in their work. Kim Hong-do preferred depicting a kaleidoscope of people in various situations and scenes of everyday life, whereas Sin Yun-bok, for his part, devoted his efforts to capturing erotic moments in works that were surprisingly voyeuristic for the period.
Calligraphy, which developed in Korea under the influence of China, is the art of handwriting in which the beauty of the lines and forms of characters and the energy contained in brush strokes and subtle shades of ink are appreciated.
Korea has produced an abundance of master calligraphers of whom Kim Jeong-hui is particularly famous for developing his own style, which is known as Chusache or Chusa Style Chusa was his pen name.
His calligraphic works fascinated even the Chinese masters of his time and are still widely admired for their remarkably modern artistic beauty. Ssireum Korean Wrestling by Kim Hong-do This genre painting by Kim Hong-do, one of the greatest painters of the late Joseon Period, vividly captures a scene of traditional Korean wrestling where two competing wrestlers are surrounded by engrossed spectators.
Pottery Kiln Site in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do. The remains of ancient kilns can be seen in Gangjin, which was one of the main producers of celadon wares during the Goryeo period.
Korean pottery, which nowadays attracts the highest praise from international collectors, is typically divided into three groups: Cheongja blue-green celadonBuncheong slip-coated stonewareand Baekja white porcelain.
Celadon refers to Korean stoneware which underwent major development in the hands of Goryeo potters some to 1, years ago. Celadon pottery is marked by an attractive jade blue surface and the unique Korean inlay technique used to decorate it.
Gangjin of Jeollanam-do and Buan of Jeollabuk-do were its two main producers during the Goryeo Period White porcelain ware represents the ceramic art of the Joseon Period While some of these porcelain wares display a milky white surface, many are decorated with a great variety of designs painted in oxidized iron, copper, or the priceless cobalt blue pigment imported from Persia via China.
The Royal Court of Joseon ran its own kilns in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, producing products of the very highest quality. The advanced techniques used in the production of white porcelain wares were introduced to Japan by Joseon potters kidnapped during the Imjin Waeran Japanese Invasion of Korea, National Museum of Korea The third main group of Korean pottery, Buncheong, was made by Goryeo potters after the fall of their Kingdom in This type of pottery is characterized by its slip-coated surface and delightfully simple decorative designs created using several different techniques.
This exquisite wooden chest used for storing clothes is lavishly decorated with a motherof-pearl inlay design. The National Folk Museum of Korea Handicrafts In the past Korean craftsmen and women developed a wide range of techniques to produce the items they needed at home.
They made pieces of wooden furniture such as wardrobes, cabinets and tables marked by a keen eye for balance and symmetry, and wove beautiful baskets, boxes and mats with bamboo, wisteria or lespedeza. They used Korean mulberry paper to make masks, dolls and ceremonial ornaments, and decorated diverse household objects with black and red lacquer harvested from nature.
Later they developed the art of using beautifully dyed oxhorn strips, and iridescent mother-of-pearl and abalone shell to decorate furniture. Embroidery, decorative knot making maedeup and natural dyeing were also important elements of traditional Korean arts and crafts, which were widely exploited to make attractive garments, household objects and personal fashion ornaments.Ondol and maru: A unique architectural relationship.
Both a huge, room tile-roofed house and a small, three-room thatch or oak bark-roofed mud hut are counted as hanok (traditional Korean house).
NYC KOREAN SCHOOL. NOT JUST ANOTHER LANGUAGE We develop integrity, goodness, and pride in our students. Apply now. Gugak The term gugak, which literally means “national music,” refers to traditional Korean music and other related art forms including songs, dances and ceremonial movements.
Here’s a classic bulgogi marinade every Korean food lover should know! It doesn’t call for complicated ingredients but I’ve included substitutions and variations for your convenience.
There’s one ingredient that may not be easy to get which is pear puree – a traditional Korean meat tenderizer. Ondol and maru: A unique architectural relationship. Both a huge, room tile-roofed house and a small, three-room thatch or oak bark-roofed mud hut are counted as hanok (traditional Korean house).
Gugak The term gugak, which literally means “national music,” refers to traditional Korean music and other related art forms including songs, dances and .