The Feast of Life, Sharing Culture

Collecting, conserving, and exhibiting are primary roles of a museum. The responsibility of collecting artifacts is achieved by a museum in various ways, through purchase, donation, and gift. Especially, donations to a museum play an important role in building a collection, since it is not only an way of collecting, but also a representation of a sharing culture from a socio-cultural point of view.

Based on three themes, <The Feast of Life, Amazing Records of Gifts to the Collection> is an exhibition of a selection from the collections donated to Sookmyung Women’s University Museum since its opening in 1971.

Remembering the Traditions of the Imperial Family:

Various materials and artifacts related to the imperial family were donated to the museum at Sookmyung Women’s University, which was founded upon the wishes of the Imperial Noble Consort Sunheon. On exhibit are materials about the imperial palace dating from the Joseon period to around the Daehan Empire, as well as artifacts from the imperial family.

Presenting Living Culture:

The art pieces and household items that were donated to the museum represent family traditions and wisdom of our ancestors. For example, the paintings, ceramics, accessories, metal and wooden ware on display reflect various lifestyles.

Continuing with Conservation and Restoration:

A museum preserves tradition and maintains it for a long period of time through conservation treatment and restoration practices. For this exhibition, the museum presents Heungwan-gun’s costumes, which underwent scientific conservation treatment, as well as reconstructions of important costumes from the collection, and excavated costumes.

Cultural heritage is preserved and shared through donations, while its value is promoted through exhibitions. The exhibition, <The Feast of Life, Amazing Records of Gifts to the Collection>, is held in honour of the donors, who were willingly to donate a treasured piece of their lives to the museum, in order to share this cultural value with a greater audience.