Wednesday, September 11, 2019

South Korea 2019 - The Style of Hanbok


Technical Details:
Date of Issue: 09 September 2019
Quantity: 672,000
Denomination: KRW 380
Printing Process: Offset 4 Colors
Size of Stamp: 30 mm x 40 mm
Image Area: 38.5 mm x 40 mm
Perforation: 13 1/4 x 13
Sheet Composition: 4 x 4 (165 mm x 185 mm)
Paper: White Unwatermarked
Designer: Shin Jaeyong
Printer: Southern Colour Print for POSA
Stamp: 
380 Korean Won - The 1500s Hanbok
380 Korean Won - The 1600s - 1700s Hanbok
380 Korean Won - The 1800s Hanbok
380 Korean Won - The 1900s Hanbok

The Style of Hanbok

Korea Post is issuing commemorative postage stamps to promote the exquisite beauty of the hanbok which the world has great admiration for and also to nurture Korea's clothing culture.

While the hanbok has gone through a number of changes in keeping with the times, it is the only traditional attire in the world that has retained its fundamental structure. The men's hanbok isi comprised of Jeogori, Baji, Po, and Gwanmo for the head. The most basic components of the women's hanbook are Jeogori and Chima while the full attire can be completed with the addition of the beoseon, a tie belt, and shoes.

Referring to the traditional clothing artifacts from the 16th to 20th centuries, we have created commemorative stamps that feature the transformations of the hanbok over time. As the hanbok signified the wearer's social status in the 16th century, it was designed to impress, boasting both a great length and width, regardless of the wearer's physique. Thus, after the Japanese invasion, the 17th century saw distinctively practical changes to the design of the hanbok.. Jeogori was narrowed and shortened so that it hovered above the waist of the Chima, which made it possible to produce more clothes with a lesser amount of material. In the later period of Joseon in the 19th century, through the reign of Yeongjo and Jeongjo, the design of the hanbok became more diversified while the basic structure consisted of a close-fitting Jeogori and a wide bottom with the shape of a bell. A Jang-ot, an outerwear worn by upper class women, acquired another use as the women began to wear it as a veil to cover their faces. On the other hand, in the 20th century, the types of Jeogori were simplified, and the length of Jeogori in the history of the hanbok. In fact, it was shortened to such an extent that there appeared an article in the Jeguk Sinmun that said "(women's) Jeogori should be lengthened so as not to reveal any flesh."

As Korea's traditional attire, the hanbok has gone through a series of transformations that reflects the prevalent living culture and circumstances as well as aesthetics of the time while still maintaining its graceful beauty and unique value. We hope that the issuance of these commemorative stamps will provide an opportunity to appreciate the importance and meaning of the hanbok.

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