『閨閤叢書』에 나타난 차의 실용적 기능과 역할

The Pragmatic Functions and Roles of Tea in the 19th Century According to “Gyuhapchongseo"

This paper deals with the pragmatic function and role of tea in the 19th century according to “Gyuhapchongseo (閨閤叢書)”, written by Bingheogak Lee (憑虛閣 李氏). Besides drinking tea for social communication and self-meditation, she found various ways to utilize tea in everyday life. Tea was used for relieving hangovers, dyeing clothes reddish brown, as a good-luck charm to prevent misfortune and insects, as well as for inscribing characters on amethyst china. Furthermore, Lee dicussed the best tea-making water and tea-producing regions in Korea. Bingheogak Lee was one of the prominent “Silhak (實學)” scholars and broadened the usage of tea in everyday life. She found new and creative ways to deepen and broaden the value of tea: expanding the limit of tea culture and developing new avenues for the tea industry during the Chosun Dynasty.