Hanbok – traditional Korean dress
Discover its enduring story
Korea
The first group of Korean objects arrived at the Museum in 1888, forming the base of an outstanding collection that spans the fourth century to the present day, and includes ceramics, embroideries, lacquerware, inlaid metalwork, fashion, product design and digital art. This combination of historic and contemporary materials offer a comprehensive view into the rich cultural heritage and diversity of current studio practices in Korea.
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Highlights from the collection include a rare gilded celadon stand, a slate burial chest from the Goryeo period (918 – 1392), lavish embroideries and elegant paraphernalia from a gentleman scholar from the Joseon dynasty (1392 – 1910). Recent acquisitions in fashion, product design and digital art have expanded this collection, alongside rare and colourful art from North Korea. Part of this collection is displayed in the Korean Gallery, opened in 1992 as the first permanent gallery devoted to Korean art in London.
Collection highlights
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Jar, 1750 – 1850, Korea -
Purse, 1850 – 1900, Korea -
Long-necked celadon bottle, 1200 – 50, Korea -
Ornamental pendant, made by Eun Young Kim, 1991, Korea -
Persimmon Village, print, by Ch'ang-yon Ham, 21st century, North Korea -
Set of five coloured lacquer bowls, designed by Hae-cho Chung, 2013, South Korea -
Stackable sewing boxes, 1850 – 1950, Korea -
Female train attendant with a trolley, painting, by Chong-Ch'ŏl Yi, 1989, North Korea -
Side-dish lacquer box, 1550 – 99, Korea -
Brush pot, 1850 – 1900, Korea -
Aggregation10-SE032RED, paper artwork, by Kwang-Young Chun, 2010, South Korea -
Jar, 1400 – 1600, Korea
Features
Making a Korean lacquer vessel
This mesmerising film shows intricate techniques used by artist Chung Hae-Cho to make a lacquer vessel
A brief history of webtoons
Discover the history of webtoons in our specially commissioned webtoon
Making a Korean inlaid lacquer box
Discover the history, tradition, materials and techniques of fine Korean inlaid lacquer, with lacquer master Lee Kwang-woong
Contemporary hanbok design: Male hanbok suit by Guiroe
"For me hanbok is love. That's because hanbok made me obsessed, as if I were in love".
Jogakbo – traditional Korean patchwork
Find out how this traditional Korean patchwork technique has been reinterpreted by contemporary Korean artists and designers
Contemporary hanbok design: Cheollik Dress and Shamanism Collection by Tchai Kim
"'Tchai' means 'difference'. We are all different so we need to find ways to accept that and coexist".
The lunar zodiac
Discover the lunar zodiac animals in art and design from our East Asian collections
