Luck is on your side at the National Folk Museum's 'Wonderful Times' exhibit

Korean Heritage

Published: 27 Nov. 2022, 15:06

Luck is on your side at the National Folk Museum's 'Wonderful Times' exhibit

The National Folk Museum of Korea kicked off an exhibit "Wonderful Times" on Nov. 16 to showcase how Koreans traditionally wished for happiness. [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

As the end of the year approaches, people all over the world often find different ways to wish for happiness and luck as the calendar turns over. Some try climbing to the top of a mountain, while others try visiting a fortune teller for help.

But how did Koreans traditionally attract good luck?

The National Folk Museum of Korea in central Seoul kicked off a special exhibit on Nov. 16 to showcase how Koreans traditionally wished for good luck.

The exhibit, titled “Wonderful Times,” begins with a display of a small table and on it is a special bowl filled with clean water. But don't be tricked into thinking it's an opportunity for refreshment before the tour starts — this water is not for drinking.

Koreans, especially women, traditionally prayed ardently under the moon by taking the bowl of water outside, clasping their hands together and rubbing them repeatedly and saying something that can be loosely translated to “I beseech thee,” or “I beg of you.” The prayer was usually for longevity, one of the five blessings Koreans longed for.

Visitors can throw an imaginary coin in a digital pond and wish for good luck. [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

A digital installation allows visitors to have a go at getting their fortune told by a bird. [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

The exhibit is divided into five sections, each showcasing different objects Koreans used to pray for each of the five blessings, which are longevity, honor, wealth, peace and harmony and lastly, fertility.

The first and largest section is “Live a Long and Healthy Life,” where an array of paintings that used to be hung in the home for a long and healthy life are displayed. Nearly all of the paintings have animals in them, such as a pair of deer, cats and willows, cranes and turtles.

“Many people understand the other animals featured in the paintings but they often ask me, why cats?” said Lee Ju-hong, the curator of the exhibit. According to Lee, the Chinese character “myo” which stands for a 70-year-old man, sounds the same as “mo,” the character used for a cat.

“In those days, if you lived until you were 70, that was quite fortunate, right?” said Lee. “So such paintings that wished for longevity often featured cats.”

Wealth and abundance are still something that many people wish for. In the old days, wealth and abundance meant holding a position in a government office, which results in another blessing: Honor. Many wives and parents prayed for their husbands and sons to become a government official, a practice that isn't that different from Korean society today.

The luckiest omens for such hopes of wealth and honor include a painting featuring persimmons and magpies, as they symbolize entering government service and success. In this section, visitors can also see a talisman from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The paper talisman has a spell-like statement: “Win first place in a state examination.”

A pair of Mandarin ducks were often gifted to newlyweds in Korea as they symbolize a harmonious family. Visitors walking into the section for "Peace and Harmony" will instantly know which corner they are in as many of the objects, from paintings to decorations on pillows, feature the ducks.

The exhibit's "Hopes to Have Many Children" section [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

Having many children was seen as equivalent to having numerous blessings. As boys were preferred in the past, Chinese characters meaning “many boys” were inscribed on different objects around the house as lucky omens.

In the “Hopes to Have Many Children” section, visitors will be astonished by the wide range of different objects used by Koreans to wish for a baby boy.

A pendant with an inscription of “many boys” in Chinese characters was carried by Korean women like a talisman during the Joseon Dynasty, and newlyweds were often gifted with presents, like the spoon and chopstick pouch on display that is embroidered with cranes and the Chinese characters, “have many boys.” Wives often used pillows that were also embroidered with the characters.

Toward the end of the exhibit, Lee displayed an array of objects that are more familiar to visitors today, like a lottery ticket from 1981 and a red plastic piggy bank, to “continue the story of how Koreans hope to live a happy life.”

Visitors can read books about happiness toward the end of the exhibition. [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

There’s also a quiet corner where visitors can sit down and read books about happiness.

“Are you happy today?” asked Lee. “We want to ask this question to everyone. If you can’t answer it right away, we want to invite you to the exhibit to find out what kind of happiness you are looking for.”

The exhibit runs until March 2.

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