한국남성의 신변장신구에 내재된 문화적 정체성

The Cultural Identity in Korean Men's Jewelry and Accessory

Korean men of the late Joseon Dynasty lived in a culture where the philosophy of Chu Hsi, or Neo-Confucianism, prevail ed as the ruling ideology of rural society and religion . In particular, scholars , who cons tituted the ruling class in that era , tried to follow the cour se of nature in all that they did. They took pleasure in arti stic pursuits such as poetry, calligraphy and ink and bru sh painting in everyday life. Also, Korean men at that time were highly conscious of what others thought of their beha vior and put honor before practical gain. They thought much about moral duty and cultiva tion of charac ter and thus valued the intern al and mental aspects of life. In this cultural contex t, Korean men extended the beauty of accessories to the arti stic and moral dimensions. Th ey expressed the elega nce of quiet rural life and th eir belief in poor but honest living in their personal ornaments . Except for those used in ritual cerem onies, Korean men's acce ssories were neither gaudy nor fancy, even when ornamented with high quality materials. The maj or charac te ristics of men 1 s accessories in the late j oseon Dynasty were as follows. First, although various materials were used to make the acce ssories, the kind s of materials used depended on the social status of the wearer. Second, although rules were frequently made to prohibit luxury, the yangban cla ss, Korean noblemen in the ]oseon Dynasty, rarely observed the rules, wherea s the common people were strictly required to do so. Third, there was an emphasis on hair orna ment and therefore many accessories for the hair. Fourth, elements of folk religion and social values were expressed in the pattern s decorating their accessories. In parti cular , Korean men of the late j oseon Dynast y enjoyed wearing acce ssories carved with pattern s expressing loya lty and fidelity. In conclusion, the sty le of Korean men' s accessories was formed in the late j oseon Dynasty in a culture where scholars and "middle people" - those belonging to the rulin g clas s but engaged in technical jobs - put great importance on honor and form. Though they wore acces sories, they tried to stick to a simple and modest lifestyle. Th erefore, their accessories were simple and plain, as seen in the narrow belt s that men wore around their waists.