​

The National Palace Museum of Korea (Director: Kim In Kyu), an affiliate of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, has selected “Sachet Pouch with Designs of Peonies and Buddha’s Hand Citrus” as its “Curator’s Choice from the Royal Treasures” for the month of February. Starting February 1, the pouch will be on display in the Royal Court Life Gallery on the second floor of the museum.

The pouch, which is presumed to have belonged to Imperial Prince Yeong (1897–1970; also known as King Yeongchin), is characterized by a round form. It still contains aromatic materials wrapped in traditional Korean mulberry pulp paper (hanji). The pouch was part of a group of 333 items of clothing and accessories once belonging to the family of Imperial Prince Yeong that were returned from Japan to Korea in 1991. Under the title “Clothes and Accessories Worn by King Yeongchin and His Family,” they were designated by the South Korean government as National Folklore Cultural Heritage and are currently housed in the National Palace Museum of Korea.

 * Imperial Prince Yeong (1897 – 1970; birth name: Yi Eun) was the seventh son of King Gojong. He was the last imperial prince of the Korean Empire.

 * Clothes and Accessories Worn by King Yeongchin and his family is a collection of 333 pieces of clothing and accessories once belonging to the family of Imperial Prince Yeong. They were originally held by the consort of the imperial prince, but were later sent to the National Museum of Tokyo for management. In 1991, the items were returned to Korea in accordance with an agreement signed between South Korea and Japan regarding the transfer of clothing originating with the family of Imperial Prince Yeong. 

Demonstrating the sophisticated crafting applied to court sachet pouches, this cultural heritage item is made of unpatterned red silk gauze on one side and unpatterned yellow silk gauze on the other. Both sides are embroidered with large designs of peonies combined with smaller designs of Buddha’s hand citrus and small flowers. The opening of the pouch features fifteen pleats threaded with a flat braided string dyed navy blue and finished at either end with a glass bead. The designs of peonies and Buddha’s hand citrus were elaborately embroidered using couching stitches. They respectively symbolize wealth and honor and longevity, and also express wishes for the prosperity of the imperial court.

*Unpatterned silk gauze is characterized by a smooth surface and high gloss.

*Buddha’s hand is a variety of citrus named for its perceived resemblance to the hand of the Buddha.

*Couching is an embroidery technique involving tacking metallic thread onto a base fabric using silk thread. It was considered the apex of the embroidery techniques used for in the Joseon royal court.

In addition to being displayed in the museum gallery, this month’s Curator’s Choice – Sachet Pouch with Designs of Peonies and Buddha’s Hand Citrus – will be presented virtually through a video on the YouTube channels of the museum and the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea.

 * Cultural Heritage Administration YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/chluvu

 * National Palace Museum of Korea YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/gogungmuseum1100

​

​