The National Palace Museum of Korea Presents “List of Hairpins Used in the Wedding Ceremony ofEmperor Gojong and Empress Myseongseong” as the Curator’s Choice for July
- To Be Presented in theGallery and Online Starting July 4 -
The NationalPalace Museum of Korea (Director: Kim In Kyu), an affiliate of the CulturalHeritage Administration of Korea, has selected “List ofHairpins Used in the Wedding Ceremony of Emperor Gojong and EmpressMyseongseong” as its “Curator’s Choice fromthe Royal Treasures” for the month of July. It will be presented online in a YouTube broadcast on the channelsof the Cultural Heritage Administration and the National Palace Museum of Koreastarting July 4.
* NationalPalace Museum of Korea YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/gogungmuseum
* CulturalHeritage Administration YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/chluvu
The words “bojam balgi” are writtenin Hangeul on the cover of the List of Hairpins Used in the Wedding Ceremony ofEmperor Gojong and Empress Myeongseong. Balgi refers to a type of royalcourt record listing items or people involved in royal rituals. This type ofrecord was also known as “件記” (geongi)in Chinese characters, meaning a description of geon (people or things).Geon were known as bal in ancient Korean, hence the name balgi.
A diverserange of balgi remains today. They can take a variety of forms dependingon the intended usage, such as for verifying the completion of official dutiesor for archival purposes. Characterized by thick paper and a fabric cover, thismonth’s Curator’s Choice appears to be a final version designed for archival purposesthat was completed after multiple drafts and revisions.
The list is on display in theRoyal Rituals of the Joseon Dynasty Gallery on the B1floor of the National Palace Museum of Korea. Those who are unable to visit thegallery in person can still enjoy this month’s Curator’s Choice virtuallythrough a video with Korean and English subtitles available on the museum’swebsite (gogung.go.kr) and on the YouTube channels of the museum and theCultural Heritage Administration of Korea.
Division: Exhibition & Publicity Division, The National Palace Museum of Korea
Contact person:Lim Kyoung-hee (02-3701-7631), Kim Jae-eun (02-3701-7633)