Feature
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A Spherical Sundial on the Move
A Korean sundial that was long held overseas was acquired by the Cultural Heritage Administration earlier this year. Known as the Iryeongwongu, or “spherical sundial,” it was crafted in 1890 during the reign of King Gojong (the 26th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty). The form and design of this device set it apart from other sundials both at home and abroad. Besides its rare globular shape, it is uniquely designed to indicate time by moving the gnomon from side by side. It also has a device for adjusting the latitude to allow time to be measured anywhere in the world it might be used.
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Yut Nori and Its Profound Cultural Symbolism
Yut or yut nori is a traditional Korean boardgame played by two opposing players or teams tossing four tokens made by splitting wooden dowels into halves. Players cast the yut sticks, and the resulting combination of sticks facing up (round side up) or down (flat side up) determines how many spaces a token can advance on a yut board with 29 stations.
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Neolithic Pottery, an Aesthetic Impetus for Revolutionary Change
The invention of pottery is broadly associated with the Neolithic Period. However, the craft of making clay pots dates to far earlier. Several sites across East Asia have yielded shards of clay pots dated to between 18,000 and 15,000 years ago, a time when ice sheets still covered vast tracts of land. Clay vessels can be understood as one of the critical factors that helped prehistoric humans to overcome the hostile climate and undertake the revolutionary changes that defined the Neolithic stage of cultural evolution.
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A Painting of a Joseon Officials’ Gathering Returns Home
During the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), literary officials in the capital liked to gather in groups for the purpose of developing their solidarity and promoting friendship among themselves. This type of assembly was known as a gyehoe, a social practice popular among the literati from the early days of the dynasty. Members of a gyehoe would often commemorate their gatherings by commissioning paintings of the assembly to be taken home.
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Listed Traditional Alcoholic Drinks
Alcoholic drinks have long been deeply intertwined in the lives of Korean people. A cup of wine enhanced the joy of social gatherings, and community celebrations and rites of passage were not considered complete without the alcohol presented as an offering to deities. Diverse kinds of alcoholic beverages were developed depending on their intended uses and consumers. Some of the many recipes for making traditional Korean alcoholic drinks have been carefully transmitted to the present as local traditions or family heritage.