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Source Description
This bride's robe is exquisitely embroidered with various symbols of happiness in colorful silk threads. Butterflies stand for marital happiness; the phoenix, numerous offspring; and lotus flowers and white cranes, longevity. Yet, the bridal robe does not attest to the life of luxury. To the contrary, many traces of repairs, trimmings, and patchwork reflect Joseon period women’s commitment to value neo-Confucian aesthetics of frugality and modesty. <br><br>Substantial repairs and patching reveal that this robe served as an important communal resource to be shared and passed down through several generations. Its collar and sleeves are covered in thick white paper; this paper is replaced with new paper for each bride, while the robe itself was reused for decades.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
98874
label
Bridal Robe (Hwarot)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
98874
contentType
object
title
Bridal Robe (Hwarot)
description
This bride's robe is exquisitely embroidered with various symbols of happiness in colorful silk threads. Butterflies stand for marital happiness; the phoenix, numerous offspring; and lotus flowers and white cranes, longevity. Yet, the bridal robe does not attest to the life of luxury. To the contrary, many traces of repairs, trimmings, and patchwork reflect Joseon period women’s commitment to value neo-Confucian aesthetics of frugality and modesty. <br><br>Substantial repairs and patching reveal that this robe served as an important communal resource to be shared and passed down through several generations. Its collar and sleeves are covered in thick white paper; this paper is replaced with new paper for each bride, while the robe itself was reused for decades.
date
1850–1910
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79485858
genreSpecific
Garment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 121.9 x 186.7 cm (48 x 73 1/2 in.)
cul
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
accession
1918.549
Source extras
tec
Satin weave silk; silk embroidery; paper edging on neck and sleeves
tombstone
Bridal Robe (Hwarot) (혼례복 (闊衣)), 1850–1910. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Satin weave silk; silk embroidery; paper edging on neck and sleeves; overall: 121.9 x 186.7 cm (48 x 73 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Worcester R. Warner Collection, 1918.549
titleInOriginalLanguage
혼례복 (闊衣)
collection
Textiles
didYouKnow
This bride's robe was not made for one specific bride, but rather was shared and passed down to many brides.
citations
citation
<em>Artistic Court Embroidery</em> [아름다운 궁중자수]. Seoul: National Palace Museum. 2013.
citation
Kwon, Hea-jin and Ji-yeon Kim. “Study on the Formative Characteristics of Embroidery Panels of Hwarot at the Victoria and Albert Museum [빅토리아 앨버트 박물관 소장 활옷의 조형성 연구].” <em>Boksik </em>(2013): 176-188.
citation
O, Suk-gyeong and Hong Na-young. “The Usage of Paper in the Costumes of the Joseon Dynasty [조선시대 복식에 사용된 종이심에 관한 연구].” <em>Boksik</em> (2015): 75-91.
citation
Suh, Kisook. <em>The Documentary Value of Repairs to the Hwarot, the Korean Bridal Robe</em>. DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 2006. .
page_number
p. 79-87
citation
Ch'a, Mi-rae, Kwi-suk An, Cleveland Museum of Art, and 국외소재문화재재단. <em>The Korean Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Edited by An Min-hŭi. First edition, English ed. Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Series, 16. Seoul, Republic of Korea: Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, 2021.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: p. 242-243, no. 135
creditline
The Worcester R. Warner Collection
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:20:34.560000
sourceId
98874
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
Satin weave silk; silk embroidery; paper edging on neck and sleeves
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
d5309e8f1bb30a2c