By Robert Neff
In the past, it was customary to present small gifts for the New Year ― usually merchants presented their valued customers with calendars as they were useful gifts that also served as a form of advertisement. Foreign merchants in Joseon Korea were no exception.
In Korea, the idea of giving calendars, even between friends, remained popular up until a couple of decades ago. It was rather strange to enter a Korean home and not see a large number of calendars gracing the walls. But things have changed and for the first time, this year, I was not offered a calendar by friends or businesses.
During the 19th century, Westerners living in Seoul were often presented with gifts from the palace. In 1887, a writer reported:
"[Eggs] and game were sent to some of the foreigners, and, each member of the royal family sending a hundred eggs, the recipients were rather embarrassed at getting 400 eggs all at once. Game is very plentiful around Seoul in the wintertime, and gifts of pheasants by ten and twenties kept the larders of all the foreign residents continually stocked. The Queen often sends as gifts to foreign ladies, bit of embroidery done by her women in the palace, and they are generally little amulet bags or ornamental pockets of royal red satin embroidered with a fine, smooth floss in conventional flower designs most nearly like Chinese work."
In 1891, Clarence Greathouse ― an American advisor to the Korean Government ― received from the palace "about a dozen pheasants, many pounds of beef, several hundred eggs, 2 bags of English walnuts, 2 packages of persimmons & etc." Not to be outdone, the Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a similar package of goods and added some of the largest and best lemons that the Greathouse family had ever seen.
Most people were pleased at receiving these gifts from the palace ― but not everyone. Horace N. Allen (an American missionary doctor who later became the American representative to Korea) seemed less-than-appreciative of a gift he received in 1885:
"[I] received my share of the Royal Favors being four squealing pigs, 20 chickens, 600 eggs, a basket of large sized large smelling fish, a basket of direct fish dried, another of dried sort of sole, a basket each of apples, pears, and peaches. I gave 5,000 won cash ($3.12) to the coolie for bringing the worthless stuff as is the custom. I gave half to Dr. Heron and then gave all of my portion to the servants excepting the chickens, eggs and a small portion of fruit such as we may eat before it spoils. This also is the custom. It would be proper now for me to send a couple of cases of wine to the King."
Another popular gift was a fan. Korean fans were a very practical gift considering Seoul's notoriously hot summers and were, in some cases, judged to be "a mark of rank." George Gilmore, an American and one of the first English teachers in Korea, noted fans were given out by the Korean monarch to his palace staff and others who earned his gratitude. Members of the diplomatic community also frequently received large numbers of fans probably with the understanding that the diplomats would share them with their household and staff but many of these diplomats merely boxed them up and sent them home as unique gifts.
One such individual was Sallie Sill, the wife of the American minister to Korea, who wrote to her daughter and proudly proclaimed: "You will never suffer for the want of fans if we get them all safely home." Apparently she got them home safely leaving her Korean servants to wonder at her lack of manners as they sweated in the hot summer sun.
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books including, Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
 |
| Chickens and eggs were very popular gifts from the palace. Circa late 19th century. Robert Neff Collection |
 |
| A Korean mourner with a fan. Circa early 1900s. Robert Neff Collection |
In Korea, the idea of giving calendars, even between friends, remained popular up until a couple of decades ago. It was rather strange to enter a Korean home and not see a large number of calendars gracing the walls. But things have changed and for the first time, this year, I was not offered a calendar by friends or businesses.
During the 19th century, Westerners living in Seoul were often presented with gifts from the palace. In 1887, a writer reported:
"[Eggs] and game were sent to some of the foreigners, and, each member of the royal family sending a hundred eggs, the recipients were rather embarrassed at getting 400 eggs all at once. Game is very plentiful around Seoul in the wintertime, and gifts of pheasants by ten and twenties kept the larders of all the foreign residents continually stocked. The Queen often sends as gifts to foreign ladies, bit of embroidery done by her women in the palace, and they are generally little amulet bags or ornamental pockets of royal red satin embroidered with a fine, smooth floss in conventional flower designs most nearly like Chinese work."
In 1891, Clarence Greathouse ― an American advisor to the Korean Government ― received from the palace "about a dozen pheasants, many pounds of beef, several hundred eggs, 2 bags of English walnuts, 2 packages of persimmons & etc." Not to be outdone, the Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a similar package of goods and added some of the largest and best lemons that the Greathouse family had ever seen.
Most people were pleased at receiving these gifts from the palace ― but not everyone. Horace N. Allen (an American missionary doctor who later became the American representative to Korea) seemed less-than-appreciative of a gift he received in 1885:
"[I] received my share of the Royal Favors being four squealing pigs, 20 chickens, 600 eggs, a basket of large sized large smelling fish, a basket of direct fish dried, another of dried sort of sole, a basket each of apples, pears, and peaches. I gave 5,000 won cash ($3.12) to the coolie for bringing the worthless stuff as is the custom. I gave half to Dr. Heron and then gave all of my portion to the servants excepting the chickens, eggs and a small portion of fruit such as we may eat before it spoils. This also is the custom. It would be proper now for me to send a couple of cases of wine to the King."
 |
| Fred Dustin in his office in the 1960s. A large calendar can be seen on the wall. Robert Neff Collection |
Another popular gift was a fan. Korean fans were a very practical gift considering Seoul's notoriously hot summers and were, in some cases, judged to be "a mark of rank." George Gilmore, an American and one of the first English teachers in Korea, noted fans were given out by the Korean monarch to his palace staff and others who earned his gratitude. Members of the diplomatic community also frequently received large numbers of fans probably with the understanding that the diplomats would share them with their household and staff but many of these diplomats merely boxed them up and sent them home as unique gifts.
One such individual was Sallie Sill, the wife of the American minister to Korea, who wrote to her daughter and proudly proclaimed: "You will never suffer for the want of fans if we get them all safely home." Apparently she got them home safely leaving her Korean servants to wonder at her lack of manners as they sweated in the hot summer sun.
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books including, Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
![Biden-Harris inauguration is taking shape [PHOTOS]](http://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/newsV2/images/Y2021011903591_6fa7a9348d345.jpg/dims/resize/268/optimize)
