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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
98884
label
Bridal Robe (Hwarot)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
98884
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
late 1800s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79485903
genreSpecific
Garment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 114.3 x 174 cm (45 x 68 1/2 in.)
cul
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
accession
1918.552
Source extras
tec
Silk: satin weave; embroidery; paper edging on neck and sleeves
tombstone
Bridal Robe (Hwarot), late 1800s. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Silk: satin weave; embroidery; paper edging on neck and sleeves; overall: 114.3 x 174 cm (45 x 68 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Worcester R. Warner Collection, 1918.552
collection
Textiles
inscriptions
inscription
壽如河海
inscription_translation
Longevity as long as the rivers and the seas.
inscription_remark
Auspicious inscription running vertically next to the embroidery of a boy holding a lotus.
sortorder
1
didYouKnow
This bride's robe is made of densely embroidered silk, but its collar and sleeves are covered in thick paper.
citations
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
pp. 79–87
citation
Seon Seung-hye. <em>The Lure of Painted Poetry: Japanese and Korean Art</em>. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2011.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 65, cat. no. 50
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
McCormick, Sooa Im. "Stitches empowered: Korean embroidery arts form the Joseon Dynasty" <em>Orientations </em>51, no. 1 (January/February 2020): 60–67.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 62, fig. 3; Mention: p. 61
citation
McCormick, Sooa Im, Jung-Wha Kim, William Griswold, Seung-Hae Yi, Byungmo Chung, and Young Chae. <em>Gold Needles: Embroidery Arts From Korea / Sooa Im McCormick, Curator.</em> Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2020.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: pp. 10–11
citation
"Gold Needles: Celebrating the stunning embroidery of anonymous Korean women.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine </em>60, no. 2 (March/April 2020): 32-33.
page_number
Reproduced: P. 33; Mentioned: P. 32.
citation
Exhibitions--Extended Dates. “Gold Needles: Embroidery Arts from Korea.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine </em>60, no. 3 (Summer 2020): 4-5.
page_number
Reproduced: P. 5; Mentioned: P. 4.
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. 246-247, no. 137
creditline
The Worcester R. Warner Collection
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:20:40.576000
sourceId
98884
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
Silk: satin weave; embroidery; paper edging on neck and sleeves
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
e9061ff2cd955c56