The Documentary Value of Repairs to the Hwarot, the Korean Bridal Robe

Kisook Suh

This study examines the Hwarot, the Korean bridal robe, from the Joseon dynasty (A.D. 1392-1910). Most extant Hwarots in Korea and abroad have this in common by stitching and sewing patches to repair them. They are all mended with several different textiles. These repairs were made and have retained over generations to prepare this special robe for a wedding ceremony. The different patches and stitches that remain on the robes represent a dialogue and story of a part of women's culture through these generations. The origin of the Hwarot is the costume of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-906). It retains the structure of an ancient ceremonial robe that is made of fine silk and embellished with embroidered flowers and auspicious motifs. Since it was very costly to make the Hwarots they were reused for many generations by attaching patches and adding stitches. The robes descended to the next generation and were also worn by townspeople, sharing community property. While the elaborately embroidered symbolic motifs convey the idea of women's hope and longing for marriage, the patches and stitches contain the repairer's, usually a family member, care and personal wishes for the bride. A conservation issue is whether or not to remove the old repairs. In many cases, repairs were coarsely done and often deformed the robe. However, considering the historical and ethnographic value of these repairs as material documentation, it is hard to decide to remove the previous repairs unless it is thought they might cause fatal further damage.

 

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