Jeogori Measurements

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When looking to recreate hanbok from extant pieces, one of the first things I like to do is find the extant pieces and look at the measurements. This helps me compare the sizes of the garments to my own body’s size so I know how it would fit and what adjustments I would need to make. Jeogori are typically listed… Read more »

Starting a New Series

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I’m starting a new series of resources for both men and women’s hanbok. The goal will be to break down each piece, follow the history and evolution, and provide a worksheet to help create your own. The first part of the series will be the women’s jeogori because it’s a great piece to use to place an outfit in time… Read more »

Quick Lesson on my Korean name and title!

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The hangul, or Korean characters, for my persona name is 성명수 – Seong Myeong Su. Each group or block represents one syllable, so the name is only three syllables total. Korean names are surname first and given name second. The surname is typically one syllable and the given name is typically two syllables, but it can be one syllable or… Read more »

16th C Joseon Korea Women’s Danryeong

Finally, after a couple months of work, I can make a post about my danryeong! My internet has been in and out at our house for the past few days so this post has been a little delayed. I found a paper a few years ago on the characteristics of danryeong found in Joseon women’s tombs, uploaded it to SCA… Read more »

Brief History of Hangeul, The Korean Alphabet

In 1446, King Sejong the Great proclaimed that a new alphabet would be put in place in Joseon (1392-1897). Before this, Chinese characters, called hanja, were used in Korea as the writing system. Memorizing and writing the complicated characters lead many people to be illiterate, especially the commoners and the poor. King Sejong wanted to create a system that would… Read more »

Juryeonggu – 14-sided dice

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Juryeonggu (주령구) is a 14-sided Korean drinking game dice from the Unified Silla period, about 668 to 935 AD. The hanja, or Chinese characters with Korean pronunciation, for the name ju-ryeong-gu are 酒令具, meaning “liquor”, “command”, and “tool”. A die made of oak was found in a pond in Gyeongju, South Korea in 1975, but was accidentally destroyed while drying… Read more »

Brewing Makgeolli – Korean Rice Wine

Tried my hand at making makgeolli – 막걸리 – Korean rice wine in February. It’s Korea’s oldest wine and is still enjoyed today. I used this recipe from Maangchi since I’ve never made it before and just want to get a feel for the process. Eventually I’d like to try looking into period recipes if I can find them. Got… Read more »

Progress, not perfection

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I started a new round collared robe in March at the beginning of the lock down, inspired by THL Ouyang’s round collared robe class she hosted online at the Eastern Gate. I’ve been meaning to make a women’s danryeong (Korean round collared robe) ever since I came across a paper on them a few years ago. It’s been a long-term… Read more »

Neoul (너울): Korean Veil

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With the weather getting warmer and the sun coming back, I needed to find a way to protect myself from the sun at events. I had purchased a jeonmo (전모) frame a while back and figured that now was the time to use it! The neoul (너울) is a veil used by ladies while going out in the Joseon Dynasty…. Read more »