Confucian: Calligraphy, Art and Culture

Addition to my previous post about Court Treasures and Culture,  this post will be more on how Confucianism influenced the culture, tradition, social life and art during Joseon Dynasty and modern Korea.

 'A Confucian, A Man of Letters'

From young age, a prince had to study Confucian classics, history, law and on top of those, a king had to practise calligraphy as well as composie prose and poetry. Calligraphy was regarded as a means of cultivating one's mind and personality.

 Ridiciously neat and nice calligraphy that looks like it's printed. 

I wish I could write as pretty as this!

 Yi Hwang wrote a guide in Hangul to King Seonjo on how to rule and help his people.

Although Hangul was invented in 1446, but King Hyojang

still wrote in Chinese characters, because Hangul was

intended for commoners who didn't have chance to 

learn Chinese characters (someone like me ;P).

 Told my Hubby that I knew how to read the text!
Although the pronounciation a bit different, but at least I can
read these Chinese characters with the help of printed Hangul.

Life as a Joseon bureacrat could be stressful. In historical drama, we often see victims of political purges or conflicts that arose between scholar-officials, which led some yangban to pursue alternative paths like calligraphy, painting, music and literature.

 Kim Jeonghui's rubbing calligraphy '真兴北狩古境' means 'The territory
where King Jinheung (in K-drama Hwarang) toured the north on hunting.'

Confucian Scholars emphazed the value of forests that led the conservation and development of temple gardens, restricted hunting areas and forests. Conservation efforts in Korea actually started when the reign of King Jinheung (Silla Dynasty) who promoted areas of scenic beauty.

Calligraphy of Song Siyeol.

Kim Jeonghu's Calligraphy for his chilhood friend, Kim Yugeun (penname: Mukso).

This is regarded as one of the most renowned works of Kim Jeong-hui (penname: Chusa), written in the regular script. The lines, meaning “One should know when to remain silent and when to laugh,” were inspired by the pen-name of his close friend, ‘Mukso Geosa’ (meaning, ‘a person with a silent smile’). One can see that it is written with earnestness, and the sharp brush strokes show the great calligrapher’s depth. (Source: museum.co.kr)

I thought the poster was Toegye Yi Hwang, Confucian scholars (선비 = Seonbi). Seonbi was idolized as the ideal man during the Joseon Dynasty.

There's another painting with ink on silk scroll hanging 

at the exhibition hall at the second floor.

Korea Treasure no. 1487 is an impressive portrait of Joseon scholar-official

Seo Jik-su with his critiqued on his own portrait – he thought 

the artist didn’t properly portray his mind. 

 Standing portraits like this one are quite rare in Korea,

because most of the portraits were in seated position.

Seo Jik-su is shown donned in a long overcoat, high hat and white socks. Traditionally, the painters emphasized the facial expressions and features of the face to the tiniest details and to portrait their personality, and intellect, as well as their appearance. 

The inscription, written by Seo stated that the court painter Yi Myeong-gi painted the face and to achieve the 3D effect for the face, Yi utilized a shading technique which involved a repetition of fine brush strokes. The rest of the figure was completed by Kim Hong-do with a different shading techniques to depict the heavy folds in Seo’s garment. |

If you watched sageuk drama 'Painter of the Wind (바람의 화원)' you must familiar with these two exceptional painters during Joseon era, Kim Hong do (pen name: Danwon / 단원) and Shin Yun bok (pen name: Hyewon / 혜원). 

In this historical fiction, Kim Hong-do was a fierce competitor to Yi Myeong-gi to be selected as the imperial painter for King's Portrait (어진화사).

Yun Bok marked Kim Hong do's face because Kim Hong Do asked him to define 

his Sam Jeong Wu Ak (3정 5악) after showing him the realistic portrait of Yun Du-seo.

 3정: Upper, Middle and Lower face.

5악: South (forehead), North (chin), East (left cheek), 

West (right cheek) and Central (nose). (Photo: Wikipedia)

Slanted eyes portrait drawn by Kim Hong Do and Yun Bok in the drama.

Actually, the real painter for Chae Je-gong's portrait was Yi Myeong-gi.

 Portrait of Seo Maesu - First State Councilor (left) and

Potraits of Successful Candidates of the Deungjunsi 

Military Examination (right).

The rank badge embroidery on the chest signify the rank.  Seo Maesu was holding the highest government post wore green robe with two cranes design. Tiger and leopards which symbolised courage were for military officials.

Portrait paintings were important in Confucian society because it was believed that the portrait enabled to bring out person's spirit and soul to allow that person to be resurrect alive. 

  

Royal Portrait Museum & Jeonju Hyanggyo in Jeonju. 

 

Sosu Seowon (Yeongju) & Munseongsa (Ojukheon, Gangneung)

Royal Portrait Museum, Seowon Confucian Academies, private memorial shrines are common places to enshrine the portraits and perform rites to pay respect to ancestors or historical figures.

Besides portraits, there're others aesthetics artworks recorded where you can witness a glimpse of culture and tradition and lifestyle of Joseon Dynasty that adopted Confucianism principles.

This colorful 45 metre long handscroll meticulously documented King Jeongjo's
procession to his father's tomb in year 1795 which involving 6000 people.

King Jeongjo pay respect to royal tomb of his father (Crown Prince Sadoseja) every year. His visit in year 1795 coincided with his mother's 60th birthday (환갑 = hwangap). Therefore, he held a feast was held at Hwaseong Haenggung Palace in Suwon because it's considered auspicious for a person to completed the first 60-year cycle.

 Bongsudang Hall means "to plead for a long enough life," for King Jeongjo's mother.  

 appears in scenes of K-drama 'Moonlight Drawn by Clouds' 

as the living quarters of the Crown Prince.

Reception of Japanese Envoy.

Ten-fold screen painting with ink and colors on paper from right to left 

starting with the procession and ended with welcoming banquet. 

 Celebrating the birth of Crown Prince Yi Cheok.

Another ten-fold screen painting, but this one on silk instead of paper. King Gojong was indicated by Sun, Moon and Five Peaks screen and the red throne in the main hall because it's forbidden to paint the king except for Royal Portrait. 

A pair of 2-panel folding screens were painting of 60th birthday banquet for 

Elder Queen Mother Sunwon (Wife of King Sunjo) 

in Changgyeonggung Palace.

Although both paintings look seemingly identical, the left captures the same banquet by night because lanterns were found only in the left painting of the pair. Please watch the video of the detailed explanation from the assistant curator.

 

'Shoeing A Horse' (left) and paintings of man prentended blind
to peek at a woman washing clothes with her skirt hiked up. 

Birds and Flowers Paintings by Nam Gyewoo.

 

 Painting from Album of Eight Views of Seoul and its vicinity.

Painting by Sim Sajeong & Art critic by Kang Sehwang

acknowledged the work as a masterpiece.

 

 

  Folk paintings portrayed the ordinary lives of people, 'true-view' landscape, animals,
flowers, plants were part of brush paintings that flourished during that era.

The Ninth King of Hell (left) with a scale to weight one's misdeeds & The Tenth King
of Hell (right) with Karma Mirror will decide the final judgement which one of the
six realms (bottom left) the person will be reborn in the next life.

 Portrait of Monk Ssangwoldang by Hyesandang Chugyeon.

The Chinese characters at the end of the scroll state that it was painted by a monastic painter named Hyesandang, one of the most famous Buddhist painters at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. 

The prayer beads represent his devotion to Buddha's teachings, while the book in the background symbolise his great learning.

Monks were rank after they passed the higher state examination (high to low): Great Virtue (daedeok), Great Master (daesa), Double Great Master (jung daesa), Triple Great Master (samjung daesa), Zen Master (seonsa), Great Zen Master (dae seonsa). 

Portrait of Choe Yeonhong by Chae Yongsin.

Unnangja (Choe Yeonhong) was a gisaeng and recognised for her patriotic acts during the Rebellion of Hong Gyeongrae in 1811. On the upper right, it stated that her age was 27 at the time of rebellion. The composition, reminiscent of Virgin and Child images of Christianity which reflect the influence of Western art. 

Portrait paintings was important for ceremonial rites to respect the ancestors and those contributed to the nation. Portrait of Choe Yeonhong with Gyewolhyang, another brave gisaeng who was bravely assisted in assassinate a Japanese commander during Imjin War were enshrined in Uiyeolsa Shrine.

Confucian was held as social ideology which emphasize 'yang' (male-related) dominant,  therefore portraits of women were rare that even queens and noblewomen couldn’t be painted. King Sukjong wanted to commission a portrait of Queen Inhyeon but there was uproar that the court male painters will be looking at her for too long! Ended he gave up and therefore there's no portrait of queen.

I like traditional paintings especially when they included lines of beautiful poem in calligraphy. Therefore, these few dramas such as 'Painter of the Wind,' 'Hwang Jin Yi,' and 'Saimdang: Light's Diary' showing their talents in arts.

Talking about painting, Saimdang was one of the great female artists during Joseon Dynasty, but her artworks either paintings or calligraphies were not displayed here.

  

Collection of Saimdang's Chochungdo painting of 

plants and insects and Calligraphy shown at Ojukheon Museum.

Despite her outstanding talents as an artist herself, in that that era she's recognised more as wise mother of seven children including Yulgok Yi I, the smart and famous Joseon Confucian Scholar.

Learned more about the history and culture during Joseon from this exhibition. Actually, there are more things, but 5 hours were not enough for me to look and read everything in details. Although, I was familiar with some of the names as they appeared in Sageuk dramas.

Really wish to know and learn more on Korean culture and tradition, language, correct etiquettes and manners so that I can relate when watching historical dramas or when visiting Korea.

Located near the venue of Pyeongchang Olympics, you might not want to miss these 2 beautiful traditional Hanok houses with rich history which often used as filming locations for historical dramas. Please click on the links for more details.

 

Ojukheon House.

Seongyojang Hanok House.

Related Posts:

 Seonbichon Village (선비촌)

Sosuseowon Confucian Academy 

[Gardens By The Bay] - Grandeur Yuletide in Flower Dome

Finally stepped our feet to Singapore's most beautiful garden after few unsuccessful attempts to bring two kiddos there...

They complained too tired after visited 2 Degree Ice Art in Feb 2014.

and I forgot when since it's quite long ago...

 either weather not permitted or other reasons.

Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government
to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden". 

The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city.

 

 The Gardens captures the essence of Singapore as the premier tropical Garden City...

 

 with the perfect environment in which to live and work...

making Singapore a leading global city of the 21st century.

Gardens by the Bay has two cooled conservatories that allowing a whole new world of plants including rare species - to be sustained in Singapore. Currently, about 94,000 plants comprising more than 1,200 species are featured in the two conservatories:

Flower Dome

The Flower Dome is the lower but larger of the two, at 1.2 hectares. It replicates the cool-dry climate of the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions of the world such as Australia, South America, South Africa.  

 

The Flower Dome features 7 different "gardens" as well as an olive grove with a bistro and 

a central changing display field has also been incorporated to enable flower shows 

and displays to be held within the conservatory.

The Flower Field on the lower ground features changing displays of flowers to reflect different seasons, festivals and themes.

 It's now displaying Grandeur Yuletide until 6 Jan 2015.
 

 Christmas Town in Flower Dome?

~~~Silent night~~~

Hello Green Reindeer~^^


Aren't they look spirited and livelier at night?


Beautiful Christmas trees lights with
Marina Bay Sands in background...

 and Singapore Flyer is more obvious because it's lighted up at night.

Remember to get the returned stamp,
so you can come back to see this wonderland at night.

I recommend to come in the afternoon to admire beautiful flowers and plants in day time, because at night you can't see them clearly. But, you can wander around to see this Yuletide on Flower Field turns to Magical Wonderland...

Dashing Grass Reindeer.

 Flying Reindeer pulling the sleigh of Santa Bear up to the Tower. 

Round frosty snowman with long carrot nose! 

   

Entrance to Flower Dome.

 Succulent Garden  

Succulents are water-storing desert plants belonging to families such as Cacti, 

 Aloes and Crassulas. Look closer and you’ll find that many of these species have 

sharp spines to protect themselves against animals which may eat their soft tissues.

A dense cover of blue or grey wax over the surface of their leaves and stems also helps protect them from desiccation and deflect excess UV light in the desert. Stroll through the Succulent Garden and venture into the desert without experiencing the heat.

Baobabs Platform on top of indoor event hall

The African Baobab, weighing more than 32 tons, is the largest tree in the Flower Dome. This gigantic tree has many uses for its roots, hollow trunks, bark, wood, leaves, flowers and fruit, from building materials to food and medicine. Flowering at night, this species is pollinated by fruit bats, while terrestrial mammals like baboons and elephants disperse its fruits by passing the seeds through the digestive tract before germination.

 African Baobab (Adansonia digitata).

The African Baobab, weighing more than 32 tons, is the largest tree in the Flower Dome. This gigantic tree has many uses for its roots, hollow trunks, bark, wood, leaves, flowers and furit, from building materials to food and medicine. Flowering at night, this species is pollinated by fruit bats, while terrestial mammals like baboons and elephants disperse its fruits by passing the seeds through the digestive tract before germination.

To me, the bottle tree looks like heart with Aorta, Artery, Vena Cava. 

By the way, some of the plants have tag with their names and belong to which families. 

But, they freaked me out as they reminded me that I had to write and memorised 

these Biology terms in Latin words for exams!

 The left corner Baobabs is the tallest tree in this Flower Dome.

 

Drunken Tree or Palo Borracho (Ceiba chodatii)

Related to the Kapok Tree of the Brazilian Amazon and Western Africa, the Drunken Tree's seeds are surrounded by smooth, light fibres that are usually collected to make pillows and cushions. Take a closer look at their amazing round trunks that are used to store water, and their beautiful ivory-coloured flowers, which are pollinated by hawk moths.

Ghost Tree (Moringa douhartii) 

Originating from South-western Madagascar, the Ghost Tree is often cultivated at traditional tombs in local villages. Despite being related to the edible Horse Radish Tree from India, its foliage, fruits and seeds are not consumed locally. Some cultures claim to use its aromatic sap as medicine for coughs and colds.

 Mediterranean Garden opposite Baobabs Platform.

The Mediterranean Basin is one of the first places in the world to practise agriculture, with crops such as olives, figs, grapes, wheat and lentils. Its coastal location and climate makes it attractive for farming, recreation and urban development, which also threatens the natural habitats. 

Another type of Palm in this garden is the Canary Island Palm from the Canary Island that is also related to the Dragon Tree. Finally, stop by the waterfront and admire the beautiful row of Italian Cypresses, which is reminiscent of Lake Como in Italy.

South African Garden

South Africa is home to an amazing number of exclusive or endemic species of plants, and here you will find ‘Fynbos’ plants, which is ‘fine, delicate brush’ in African. These species have needle-like leaves that form thickets of fire-prone, hard-leaf shrubs that grow in sandy, low-nutrient soil.

 

 Many of the plants found in this vegetation have small, 

dark leaves covered in a waxy outer layer 

that helps them to retain moisture.

Australian Garden

The Australian Garden is a fascinating showcase of plants that have adapted to survive long dry seasons and fires from two regions in Australia – Western and South Australia.

 Looking down to Flower Field from Mediterranean platform...

 Pollen - Michelin-starred Restaurant. 

Modern European cuisine restaurant helmed by renowned Chef Jason Atherton is located within the lush Mediterranean garden in the Flower Dome, with panoramic views of Marina Bay waterfront. dining at Pollen is an extraordinary experience like no other!

 Nice wood burner and Christmas decorations outside

South American platform.

Let's have a shot for family photo here~^^

 

 and here with Christmas tree ^^

 Ah... so many Christmas trees inside Flower Dome :P

 

 Blooming cute little red and white flowers

giving extra power to festive ambience.

Can you see that this flower dome has no pillars.
Only steel grids to hold different sizes of 3,332 glass panels.

  Awesome infrastructure, isn't it?

 

Do I look like Ginseng?

 Plentiful of beautiful and colorful flowers.

 

Cousin It She-Oak flower. What a weird name for 

such a lovely flower!

 Tried new macro lens for handphone to capture this mini cactus flower.

To be frank, I don't know how to use my Samsung NX100 to shoot macro photo!
 

Art at the Gardens 

Gardens by the Bay is home to more than 40 sculptures - featuring unique pieces from Zimbabwe, Australia and the United Kingdom, specially commissioned sculptures by Singaporean artists aimed to celebrate our natural features, intriguing Southeast Asian crafts that fit naturally within the lush plant surroundings, as well as stone works from China, that complement the beauty of the plant displays and add a new dimension to the landscape.

 The Eagle Has Landed 

Cleverly crafted from the polished and varnished Lychee roots, this commanding eagle is supported by a plain Lychee tree stump. The eagle has a reputation as a fierce hunter in the sky and its name also resembles the Chinese word for “hero”. The eagle surveys the Flower Dome from its vantage point, where it overlooks the changing display of the Flower Field and the Mediterranean Garden. 

 La Famille de Voyageurs created by Bruno Catalano

Worked in bronze, ‘La Famille de voyageurs’ (A traveling family) depicts a family visiting Gardens by the Bay before heading home. As they depart Singapore, they take with them beautiful memories and leave a part of themselves behind. Inspired by the universal theme of travel, French sculptor Bruno Catalano’s eye-catching works, with their dashed bodies and the deliberate lack of volume, invite the viewer to mentally reconstruct the possibility of the human potential.

 Do I look like the above sculptor carrying my invisible illusion bag?

Ok, Let's go to Cloud Forest~!^^

For more information, please check this link.

Related Posts:

~ [Gardens By The Bay] - Waterfall in Cloud Forest 

~ [Gardens By The Bay] - Garden Rhapsody Christmas Wonderland