A Study of Bridegroom's Wedding Robe, Danryung : in Genre Paintings from the 18th Century to the Early Days 20th Century

Abstract

This paper is about bridegroom's wedding robe, danryung(團領, a kind of official uniform) which can be found in the scenes of wedding ceremonies such as Chohaeng(初行, a ceremony that the bridegroom goes to the bride's house for wedding) and Hoehonrye(回婚禮, a ceremony that celebrates the wedding anniversary) in the genre paintings from the century to the century. In the documents of the and the centuries containing the wedding information of that period, danryung was described in various red tones ranging from Ja(紫, purple), Gang(絳 crimson), to Yeonhong(軟紅, pale pink). Similarly, red danryung(紅團領) was seen most frequently at the Chohaeng sights of the genre paintings. On the other hand, it was often depicted that the bridegrooms put on various colored danryungs at Hoehonrye. This was because bridegrooms at Hoehonrye wore their full dress according to their official ranks. In the genre paintings of the 18th century, all bridegrooms wore simple danryungs without hungbae(胸背, official insignia panel) except those in Hoehonrye painting where officials used hungbae. On the contrary, hungbae was discovered in the century Chohaeng paintings even though it was not precisely painted. This change of the bridegroom's danryung with hungbae attached was related to that of the official uniform system itself, in which black danryung with hungbae was exclusively used for officials. Afterwards it became the basis of the blue danryung of the present day.