"The Journey of Lord Heungwan’s Garments" is an exhibition that presents the outcome of the conservation treatment carried out on 16 pieces of clothing (National Folklore Cultural Heritage No. 121) that were once worn by the Heungwan-gun family, as well as shows how official uniforms changed during the time of Enlightenment in the late 19th century.

Lord Heungwan(興完君:1815~1849), whose real name is Lee Jeong Eung(李晸應), had an older brother, Lord Heungryeong, and two younger brothers, Lord Heungin and Lord Heungseon. Lord Heungwan was born in 1815(15th year of King Sunjo of Joseon Dynasty) and was honored posthumously with the rank as prime minister. He passed away at the age of 34 in 1849 (14th year of King Heonjong). Lord Heungwan’s adopted son, Lord Wansun(完順君, 1855~1923), whose real name is Lee Jae-wan(李載完), was born in 1855(5th year of King Cheoljong) and died in 1923. In 1899(3rd year of Gwangmu) he held the position of a high-ranking official at Gungnaebu(宮內部). The families of the Lee clan kept this collection until they donated it to Sookmyung Women’s University Museum in 1982. 

Designated as a National Folklore Cultural Heritage on April 11, 1983, Lord Heungwan family’s garment collection includes 62 pieces of 13 types of clothing, such as uniforms worn by court officials such as jobok(朝服), jebok(祭服), and danryeong. Among the collection, 16 pieces were under conservation treatment for a year since 2021, as part of a maintenance program for nationally designated cultural heritage organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration. 

Conservation means to preserve and store well to hand down to future generations. The clothes carry traces of real life resulting from having been frequently worn and mended by family members, whereas its fabric have become weak with time. To recover its original state, the Conservation Center began with a scientific investigation of the garments then dismantled it and brushed away the dust to restore its original shape, as well as patch and strengthen damaged parts.

The garments of the Lord Heungwan family on display include various official attires from the late 19th century worn by court officials such as, jobok(朝服), jebok(祭服), sangbok(常服), sibok(時服), yoongbok(戎服), and gunbok(軍服). Moreover, the exhibition presents the style of court official uniforms before and after the clothing reform in 1894, when King Kojong affirmed to simplify what people wore during that time. This reform influenced uniforms to have narrower sleeves and less layers of clothing to increase comfort.

By using the best contemporary methods, conservation treatment prevents relics from degrading, as well as cares and strengthens its weakened condition. The garments of the Lord Heungwan family not only carry historical and periodical significance of court official uniforms during the late period of Joseon, but also set a precedent of rare conservation treatment. This exhibition demonstrates the role of museums as conservators of relics that carry the souls of our ancestors and shows a slice of the time of Enlightenment in Korea.

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This online content was produced along with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korean Museum Association

Through the ＇2022 Private Museum, Art Museum Online Content Production Support Project＇ government support.

Hosted by The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Organized by The Korean Museum Association

Planning by Sookmyung Women’s University Museum