Exhibit reveals dramatic lives of royal consorts

The Folding Screen of Sixtieth Birthday Banquets for Dowager Queen Sinjeong. / Courtesy of LA County Museum of Arts/ National Palace Museum of Korea

By Chung Ah-young

Royal concubines and queens of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) have often been depicted as the main culprits behind power struggles at court. However, they were more than just the wives and mothers of the kings. They engaged in various activities including educational and cultural events. Sometimes they left prolific literary works inspired by their dramatic lives.

To shed light on their diverse roles and duties, the National Palace Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition titled “Queens and Concubines of the Joseon Dynasty” throughout Aug. 30 to coincide with celebrations of its 10th anniversary.

The exhibition is designed to acknowledge the status, duties and lives of the queens and concubines, displaying some 300 relics.

Queens took care of the elders of the royal family, maintained order in the court while supervising important ceremonies such as the sericulture ceremony. Meanwhile concubines supported queens, attending royal ceremonies and handling the preparation of ancestral rites or guest receptions.

The ceremonial robe of the consort of Imperial Prince Ui / Courtesy of National Palace Museum of Korea

“The queen was the only legitimate wife of the king and mother of the nation and controlled the royal females to maintain the hierarchy within the royal palace,” Im Ji-yoon, a curator of the exhibition, said.

She said that royal concubines were also considered as part of the royal family with status depending on whether their sons became kings.

The exhibition consists of two parts. The first part shows the process of selecting queens and concubines, their duties, and funeral and ancestral shrines to honor their dignity even after death.

Their robes in red, green and yellow are displayed at the entrance to the first section. Their flamboyant and elegant attire show the different ranks among concubines and queens.

Pendants of the Consort of Imperial Prince Yeong / Courtesy of the National Palace Museum of Korea

Im said that there were six stages to select royal concubines and queens. They came from diverse backgrounds. Some used to serve as court maids before being chosen for the king’s favor ― for example, Sukbin Choi, a maid-turned-concubine of King Sukjong, mother of King Yeongjo. Others were often from noble families. Once they were selected, they were sent to “Byeolgung” in which consorts-to-be were educated.

For this part, the “Folding Screen of the Sixtieth Birthday Banquets for Dowager Queen Sinjeong” which shows a ceremonial ritual and “Deoksewi, 153rd of the 500 Nahans,” a hanging scroll depicting an elderly monk, have been loaned from the L.A. County Museum of Arts.

Also, “Gamsil,” a shrine for Sukbin Choi, is recreated in the exhibition hall.

The second part focuses on the lives of royal women, examining royal couture, literary activities, Buddhist religious practice and their participation in economic activities.

This part shows their daily attire to present their royal status and authority within the palace. It includes relics which were used as accessories and cosmetics such as rouge stamps for cheeks and foreheads, and combs and cosmetic containers.

As the queens and concubines lived according to strict court rules, they spent more time writing the letters and poems as well as practicing meditation through Buddhist teachings to seek inner peace and prosperity for the nation.

Through three renowned royal books depicting protagonists, the dramatic lives of three queens ― Queen Inmok, Inhyeon and Lady Hyegyeonggung Hong ― are revisited in the second part. Particularly, “Euphyeolrok” and “Hanjungmanrok” or “Memoires of Lady Hyegyeonggung Hong” are displayed. The memoires depict her recalling her ill-fated husband, the Crown Prince Sado, who was killed in a rice chest, amid a power struggle, by his own father King Yeongjo. The books are representative Joseon court literature.

Various seals used in “Gungbang,” or the Central Financial Management Institution of the Royal Women, are exhibited to show their roles in managing their properties as part of economic activities at court.

To help visitors understand the court rituals and culture, the museum screens videos.

For more information, call (02) 3701-7633.