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National Folklore Cultural Heritage

Full Dress Worn by King Yeongjo

영조대왕의 도포 ( 英祖大王의 道袍 )

Heritage Search Detail
Classification National Folklore Cultural Heritage
Name of Cultural Properties Full Dress Worn by King Yeongjo
Quantity 1 Item
Designated Date 1987.11.23
Age 1740
Address Pagyesa Temple 741, Pagye-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu

This dopo (robe) was discovered while painting Amitabha Buddha in Wontongjeon Hall of Pagyesa Temple in gold in 1979. According to a prayer statement written on a scroll discovered along with the dopo, the production date of the dopo was September of the 5th year of Geollyung. At that time, the Grand Buddhist Sanctuary was painted in gold, and the statue of Arhat was installed. King Yeongjo designated the Pagyesa Temple as the main temple to donate the Buddha statue after he offered tangbul and ilcheonbul. King Yeongjo then offered the dopo. Dopo was worn by the nobility and kings of the Joseon Dynasty, and records and relics related to the clothing started to appear from the 16th century. Dopo has straight lapel and wide sleeves, with the back hem made in a dual structure. The appearance of the back hem is well-depicted in a folk painting from the 18th century. King Yeongjo’s dopo is made of pattern-less silver fabric without any lining, and it is light green. The sleeves are wide, and the lapel is made by combining the square shape and pointy shape. In contrast, the dopo for commoners has a straight lapel; thus showing that commoners and royal families wore different styles of dopo. This artifact is the oldest one among the dopo, and it has great value in studying the history of traditional Korean clothing since it was worn by the king, aside from its well-preserved color and shape.