In the Joseon era, even the signs adhered to a hierarchy

Korean Heritage

Published: 23 May. 2022, 17:15 Updated: 24 May. 2022, 14:23

In the Joseon era, even the signs adhered to a hierarchy

Signboard for Daeanmun, the former name of the main gate of Gyeongun Palace (present-day Deoksu Palace). It's the largest signboard in collection of the National Palace Museum of Korea. [NEWS1]

The Gwanghwamun signboard that was hung up in 2010 after renovations around the gate and palace came under fire for being historically inaccurate.

After years of research, the Cultural Heritage Administration concluded that the original Gwanghwamun signboard, produced in the later years of King Gojong (1852-1919), had gold gilded letters on a black background. The 2010 version has black letters on white background. The administration said it will switch it to gold and black signboard as soon as possible.

The 2010 signboard, also known as hanging boards, has the three Chinese characters for “Gwanghwamun,” which is historically accurate, and is also the correct size.

So if the main purpose of a signboard is to help people recognize a place or a building, why was some artistic license with the colors on the Gwanghwamun signboard so controversial?

Different signboards in the National Palace Museum's collection. [NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM OF KOREA]

According to the National Palace Museum in central Seoul, hanging boards of Joseon Dynasty’s (1392-1910) royal palaces had a hierarchy that was evident from their design.

Important halls and structures in the royal palaces that were used by kings and queens had to have the highest-ranking signboards — with decorative dancheong (traditional decorative coloring on wooden buildings) frames, black background created through otchil (lacquer-coating), and letters highlighted using gold gilding. A grayish background created using ink was ranked next, followed by a white background. As for the letters, gold was followed by brown, white and then black.

“Joseon royal palace’s signboards, known as hyeonpan, did not simply announce the names of buildings but delivered a wide range of messages that described certain aspects of the lives of the Joseon royal family,” said Kim In-kyu, director of the National Palace Museum of Korea. “There were signboards inscribed with information about the purpose and process of the construction of buildings. They also served as bulletin boards that documented a king’s orders and guidelines for his subjects, his duties as well as his affection for his people, and filial piety toward their parents.”

In an attempt to explore the diverse styles of signboards and their uses, the National Palace Museum of Korea kicked off a special exhibit on May 18, titled “Hyeonpan: Hanging Boards Inscribing the Ideals of Joseon.”

The museum has more than 700 signboards that were once hung in Joseon’s royal palaces in its collection. Although they are an indispensable element of the architecture of royal palaces, there hasn’t been an exhibition shedding light on them as the main subject. The museum decided to showcase for the first time, the 81 royal signboards that were inscribed on Unesco’s Memory of the World Register for Asia and the Pacific in 2018, in this special exhibit.

Signboard from Gyeongung Palace (present-day Deoksu Palace) with a colorful frame and cloud-shaped bars. [NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM OF KOREA]

Traditional materials used to produce royal signboards [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

Most of the signboards that were once produced for different purposes in Joseon, eventually lost their original places during the Japanese colonial era (1910-45) as Seoul’s five palaces were repurposed by Japanese authorities to become tourist sites, entertainment facilities and exhibition venues.

They were displayed in Myeongjeongjeon, the exhibition hall of the Imperial Museum in Changgyeong Palace. In 1963, after Korea’s liberation from Japan, a total of 624 signboards were exhibited in the corridors of Geunjeongjeon, a hall in Gyeongbok Palace. Then they were stored in different palaces — Gyeongbok Palace until 1982, Changgyeong Palace until 1986 and Changdeok Palace until 1992. When the Royal Relics Exhibition Hall opened in Deoksu Palace in 1992, the signboards were moved there. Finally, with the opening of the National Palace Museum in 2005, the signboards found a permanent home.

“We wanted to ‘bring down’ the signboards to the level of the visitors,” said Yim Ji-yun, the curator of the exhibit. “Visitors will be able to take a closer look at different designs of the boards, learn about the production process that involves multiple artisans, different calligraphy styles, and even check out what they look like from the back."

The exhibit is divided into five sections. In the first prologue section, titled “Royal Signboards Brought Down to Us,” visitors will be able to witness the largest signboard in the museum’s collection. The signboard, measuring 374 by 124.3 centimeters (12.3 by 4 feet), was for Daeanmun, the former name of the main gate of Gyeongun Palace (present-day Deoksu Palace). However, the palace was damaged by fire in 1904 and when the gate was reconstructed two years later, King Gojong decided to change its name to Daehanmun, which means “a gate of the large sky.”

This signboard was produced in 1745 to record King Yeongjo's feelings after being absent from rites at Mangmyoru Pavilion. It's the only surviving royal Joseon signboards in the National Palace Museum's collection that has a hinged door. [NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM OF KOREA]

In the next section “Making Signboards,” visitors can learn about different calligraphy styles, materials and traditional production techniques. Visitors will be surprised by the diverse shapes and sizes of the royal signboards.

The oldest signboard in the museum’s collection is also displayed here. “Hanging Board with a Record on a Shrine to Patriotic Heroes,” produced in 1582, is inscribed with the history of Uiyeolsa, a shrine dedicated to loyal subjects during the reign of King Uija of the Baekje Kingdom (17 B.C. to A.D. 660) and of King Gongmin of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392).

“Signboard with a Record on a Shrine to Patriotic Heroes,” produced in 1582, is inscribed with the history of Uiyeolsa, a shrine dedicated to loyal subjects during the reign of King Uija of the Baekje Kingdom and of King Gongmin of the Goryeo Dynasty. It's the oldest signboard in collection at the museum. [NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM OF KOREA]

According to Yim, the signboard from Gyeongun Palace displayed here, “is a high-ranking signboard that was kept in fairly good condition. Therefore, visitors can take a closer look at the paintings on the frame, the delicate gold gild and the beautiful calligraphy of King Gojong.”

Visitors with keen eyesight will notice a specific Chinese character on some signboards written higher than other characters, as seen on the signboard with composition and calligraphy by King Sukjong, reading “An Old Palace where a Dragon (King Hyojong) Ascends to the Throne.” It was created in 1693. No, it wasn’t written by a wobbly hand, but purposely placed higher as the Chinese character for “yong” signifies “the king.”

In the “Embodying Ideals" section, signboards that display different ideologies are showcased.

“Neo-Confucianism was the ruling ideology of the Joseon Dynasty,” said Yim. “It pursued an ideal way of governance was to rule with ‘benevolence and virtue.’ Royal palaces were spaces imbued with the Joseon Dynasty’s will to realize its Confucian ideals.”

These signboards feature writing that reflects a king’s affection for his people. For example, there’s a signboard with a prayer and a poem composed and written by King Yeongjo after carrying out a Ritual for Rain in 1743. There’s also a signboard with a message from King Yeongjo, encouraging his people to be educated, produced in 1749.

“Signboards sometimes functioned as a sort of bulletin board or official document, for example, those featuring a king’s orders and guidelines for his subjects, the assigned duties and rules for government offices, lists of officials and their tasks as well as dates of national events,” said Yim.

Local reporters at the preview of the “Hyeonpan: Signboards Inscribing the Ideals of Joseon" exhibit on May 18 at the National Palace Museum of Korea. [NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM OF KOREA]

The "Signoards" section has an impressive wall displaying 20 signboards in different shapes and sizes. [NEWS1]

In the final “Hanging Boards” section, there’s an impressive display that brings together 20 boards in different shapes and sizes on a single wall. Towards the end, visitors will encounter photographs and videos that explore the signboards that we find around us today and the people working to safeguard them and preserve their value.
The exhibit runs until Aug. 15.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]