‘Couture ASIAN ART MUSEUM’S Korea’
LINKS ARTIFACTS TO TODAY’S FASHIONS
At first glance, the sleek showcases and architectural-looking fashions suggest that one of Union Square’s high-end retailers has set up shop inside San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum.
But the exhibit on view at the museum, “Couture Korea,” has its roots in history. The “fashions” range from a translucent silk replica of a centuries-old king’s robe to a neoprene dress designed and crafted just last year.
Most of the historic re-creations and contemporary fashions are from the Arumjigi Culture Keepers Foundation in Seoul, South Korea. The Asian Art Museum added works from its own collection to show the fashion’s inspiration, from silk patchwork wrapping cloths to lacquered boxes with mother-of-pearl inlay.
What’s more, the museum’s permanent Korean galleries, one flight up from “Couture Korea,” have been stocked with treasures to offer more cultural context. Among them: a portrait of a gentleman wearing a woven horsehair hat, almost a duplicate of one on display, and a stunning folding screen depicting a Korean scholar’s study.
The revamped upstairs galleries, with their extensive collection of ceramics as well, mean the Korean exhibit isn’t just for fashionistas.
The theme of “Couture Korea” is modest compared with the museum’s usual treasure-trove exhibits: how costumes of the past affect contemporary Korean and Western designers. The show was organized by Hyonjeong Kim Han, the museum’s associate curator of Korean art, and runs through Feb. 4.
Beyond the historic re-creations, three current Korean designers are featured, and their clothes’ silhouettes, patterns and ornamentation do show a connection to the past. Also displayed are several more flashy Korean-inspired ensembles designed by German-born Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel in 2016.
Many of the garments based on historic models, displayed in the first of the exhibit’s galleries, have a simplicity that makes them look modern. The first object displayed, based on King Yeongjo’s outer robe from the 1700s, is flattened as if it were a biological specimen, and the backlighting reveals the translucence of the silk fabric.
There’s an intriguing backstory. The original garment was discovered in 1997 inside a sculpture at a temple in southwest Korea. An inscription page found with it offered a prayer from the king, who “wishes this green silk robe to be passed down for tens of thousands of generations into the future.”
Nearby, a long leather coat is re-created in rust-colored sheepskin. The original, seen in a photograph in the exhibit catalog, was worn by General Nam I-heung (1576-1627) and curators’ inspections have revealed more. “General Nam’s coat is thought to have been worn under armor,” they say, “due to the bloodstains and arrow holes that appear in its leather.”
Both men’s and women’s historic garments are surprisingly colorful. One woman’s ensemble, based on an 18th-century painting, includes a short green jacket, a voluminous blue skirt tied with a bronzecolored sash, and fur-lined arm warmers. It’s based on an outfit worn by a courtesan.
At the other end of the spectrum is a collection of colorful costumes for children, made especially for first birthday celebrations of boys and girls. A video shows current ceremonies, in more modern but equally colorful outfits. The boys’ five-color striped sleeves, we learn, are meant to protect him from bad luck in the future.
The contemporary fashions in the two subsequent galleries move at warp speed into the present. Jin Teok, born in 1934, is known for “repurposing” Korean tradition. One of her garments combines a portion of a bright red wedding robe with a denim and lace skirt.
Two younger designers featured follow different paths. Jung Misun’s wool-blend knits and soft leathers follow a mannequin’s curves. Im Seonoc works with neoprene, most commonly used for wetsuits, to make robotlike coats and dresses from pattern pieces she can bond and glue together.
In the second-floor Korean art galleries, a satellite exhibit brings much-needed cultural context. Drawn from the museum’s own collection, it includes hair ornaments, tasseled fasteners for robes, pillows, a lacquered chest with mother-of-pearl inlay and calligraphy scrolls.
“Couture Korea” re-creates a Confucian scholar’s room; on display upstairs is an eight-panel screen from the 19th century that depicts a scholar’s books and other possessions. Painted by Yi Eungrok, it’s considered one of the museum’s masterpieces, and is rarely on view.
Beyond garments and ornaments, the Korean galleries also display an extensive collection of ceramics. Some are hefty jars more than 1,500 years old, others more recent and delicately shaped, with a bluegreen celadon glaze.
Upstairs and downstairs, with ancient artifacts, geometric-patterned silk and dresses made from neoprene, these two exhibits bring Korea’s past into the present.