Discover .... Korean Art and Society

Synopsis: A series of 3 short videos created to provide background information about Korean history and society for visitors to the Samsung Gallery of Korean Art at the V&A.

BUDDHISM IN KOREA (2 min 32 secs)
Buddhist ideas strongly influenced Korean art and society. For instance, delicate, green-glazed vessels played a part in temple life, reflecting the quiet, contemplative atmosphere needed for religious observance. Also, many objects in the V&A’s collections depict lotus flowers, suggesting spiritual growth towards enlightenment.

WRITING IN KOREA (2 mins 49 secs)
Contemporary artists such as Shin Young-Ok draw on a literary tradition in their work that stretches back over the centuries. The Korean alphabet was designed and introduced in 1446 AD. Koreans revered writing and learning, and texts were hand written, or printed from woodblocks or pieces of type.

POWER AND RITUAL (2 mins 17 secs)
The King and his court sat at the centre of government in early Korea. Many decorative objects, such as dress ornaments and ceramics painted in blue, red or brown pigments carry meanings relating to royal power and status. These include cranes in flight, shown on embroidered badges denoting the rank of officials, and scaly dragons that encircle tbe robust porcelain jars of the Choson period (1392-1910).
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Subjects: Art; Crafts; Design
Keywords: Buddhism; calligraphy; decorative arts; Korea; symbols; writing

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