By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
"Kokdu," wooden figurines in various shapes such as of human beings and animals, traditionally adorned funeral biers. The figurines were believed to be messengers that could come and go, traveling between life and death.
The funeral biers that are decorated with "kokdu" were used to transport a coffin to its burial site and were traditionally believed to be a temporary dwelling place for the dead. But nowadays, it is hard to find the figurines because modern lifestyles have replaced these traditional rituals.
To revive this lost aspect of long ago traditions, the Kokdu Museum will open at Dongsoong Art Center in Daehangno on April 29.
Kim Ock-rang, director of the art center and museum, has collected some 20,000 figurines since the early 1970s. Kim also established the Kokdu Cultural Research Center to support the studies of the historical significance of the traditional figurines.
As the shapes of the "kokdu" are diverse, it is rare to find the same pattern in any two of the figurines, according to the museum. The various facial expressions and gestures show the warmhearted characters of the "kokdu" figurines.
The "kokdu" are divided into human being figures, such as servants and court musicians, or animals, such as phoenixes and tigers.
The functions of the human-shaped "kokdu" are to guide, guard, care and entertain. The guiding "kokdu" is believed to accompany the deceased to the world of death. They are often found together with the images of super-humans, or mythical animals such as dragons and phoenixes.
The guarding "kokdu" protects the deceased from evil spirits that are discernible by the weapons they carry with menacing and goblin-like appearances. The images of these guards morphed over time during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). For example, they were originally shaped as government officials, and after 1910, took the form of a police officer carrying a rifle.
The caring "kokdu" is believed to serve the deceased as if she or he was still alive, usually depicted as a woman.
Finally, to overcome instability and sorrow, the remaining "kokdu" were designed to entertain the deceased and the bereaved families on the funeral bier. They were mostly shaped as musicians, dancers and clowns.
The museum spans 900 square meters and is located on the second floor of Dongsoong Art Center, consisting of two exhibition halls ― the permanent exhibition hall and the special exhibition hall. An education hall and an art shop are also on the premises.
"The center had originally displayed some 20 'kokdu' artifacts in the corner of the basement of the center. It was just a tiny exhibition hall, not an official museum. So we've extended and moved the venue to the entire space on the second floor and designated it as the official museum," said the curator, Lee So-yeon.
Lee added that the museum will play the role of a cultural and educational organization.
Also, the museum will offer a variety of publications and cultural products focusing on the "kokdu" to promote its traditional significance and to popularize the figurines to a wider audience.
For more information, visit www.kokdumuseum.com.