The Nineteenth-century eight-panel folding display, „Welcoming Banquet of the Governor of Pyeongan,“ is displayed on the Leeum Museum of Artwork in central Seoul, Monday, after present process an intensive 16-month restoration. The artifact, which has been housed within the assortment of the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts since 1927, will return to the U.S. and take middle stage within the museum’s newly reopened Yu Kil-Chun Gallery of Korean Artwork and Tradition in Might. Courtesy of OKCHF
Within the yr 1826, the governor of Pyeongan Province — now a part of modern-day North Korea — hosted a grand banquet alongside the Taedong River to honor a brand new cohort of profitable provincial examination candidates.
The resplendent occasion unfolded in a stunning collection of spectacles, from citywide processions and jubilant festivities to nighttime boat rides. Each second was meticulously captured in an eight-panel folding display, with every panel depicting a unique scene of the celebration in chronological order.
Notably, the presence of gold gildings on musical devices and ceremonial flags means that the piece was a commissioned work, probably created for a high-ranking authorities official throughout Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
Many years later, this Nineteenth-century masterpiece left its homeland and, since 1927, has been housed within the assortment of the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts in america.
However time and distance took their toll. Stripped of its authentic mounting, the Joseon-era folding display was lowered to eight separate panels with no clear strategy to decide their actual sequence, as they lacked inscriptions or figuring out marks. The work themselves bore greater than 10,000 holes from insect harm, whereas their surfaces suffered from deep creases, cracks and contamination.
The group on the Leeum Museum of Artwork’s Korean work conservation laboratory, operated by the Samsung Basis of Tradition, undertook an intensive restoration of the eight-panel folding display that lasted 16 months from 2023 to 2025. Courtesy of OKCHF
That was the daunting problem that awaited Nam Yu-mi, senior conservator on the Leeum Museum of Artwork’s Korean work conservation laboratory, and her group in 2o23.
“I’ve been in conservation for 25 years, however I’ve by no means seen this many holes in a single relic,” she stated. “Such vital insect harm is because of the bamboo paper backing that contained a considerable amount of rice starch. The starch was used to make the paper seem whiter and extra opaque, thus enhancing the vibrancy of the pigments.”
Over the following 16 months, her lab — operated by the Samsung Basis of Tradition — undertook an intensive restoration, consulting historic data and even satellite tv for pc imagery of Pyongyang to make sure accuracy.
The end result? The 5-meter-long “Welcoming Banquet of the Governor of Pyeongan,” returned to its authentic sequence and format, now prominently exhibited on the Leeum Museum of Artwork.
A more in-depth view of „Welcoming Banquet of the Governor of Pyeongan“ on view on the Leeum Museum of Artwork / Yonhap
“This folding display is nearly like a style portray that gives a glimpse into Nineteenth-century Pyongyang and the lives of its folks,” famous Kim Jung-hee, chair of the Abroad Korean Cultural Heritage Basis (OKCHF), on the press convention, Monday.
Its restoration was a part of a joint initiative between the OKCHF and the Samsung Basis of Tradition, geared toward preserving, conserving and selling Korean cultural treasures housed overseas.
Displayed alongside “Welcoming Banquet of the Governor of Pyeongan” is one other artifact from the Peabody Essex Museum’s assortment that underwent an identical makeover — a “hwarot,” or bridal gown.
The hwarot was a standard wedding ceremony gown donned in the course of the Joseon period. By the late Nineteenth century, not reserved for royalty and aristocrats, it had develop into frequent amongst abnormal brides. Right this moment, solely about 50 examples of this garment survive worldwide.
Displayed alongside the folding display is one other artifact from the Peabody Essex Museum’s assortment that underwent an identical makeover — a Nineteenth-century „hwarot,“ or bridal gown. Yonhap
Like many remaining hwarot, this embroidered gown exhibits indicators of a number of repairs, indicating that it was worn and altered over time by completely different homeowners.
Throughout its restoration at Dankook College’s Seok Juseon Memorial Museum, conservators found that patches of scrap “hanji” (conventional Korean paper) had been beforehand utilized to fix its sleeves. A few of these fragments contained a “chusugi” (autumn harvest report), whereas others had been even recognized as “nakbokji” — discarded reply sheets from unsuccessful candidates within the Joseon Dynasty’s civil service examinations, also called „gwageo.“
Following their monthlong show at Leeum, which concludes on April 6, the 2 restored artifacts might be returned to the Peabody Essex Museum. There, they’ll take middle stage within the museum’s newly reopened Yu Kil-Chun Gallery of Korean Artwork and Tradition, set to debut in Might.
Throughout its restoration, conservators found that patches of scrap „hanji“ had been beforehand utilized to fix the hwarot’s sleeves. A few of these fragments contained a „chusugi“ (autumn harvest report). Courtesy of OKCHF
