"Welcome to Summer" - A Dano Fans Exhibition -
Samcheonggak, a renowned institution for traditional Korean culture, will hold a special exhibition of Taegeukseon and Hapjukseon fans to celebrate Dano, a major seasonal festivity of Korea taking place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
“A fan, the best gift to celebrate Dano"
One of the three most important traditional festivities in Korea along with the Lunar New Year's Day ("Seol") and the Autumnal Full Moon Day ("Chuseok"), Dano is traditionally spent playing a number of exciting folk games or practices which include washing hair with Changpo (sweet flag) juice, harvesting herbs such as Ssuk (mugwort) and Ingmocho (motherwort), eating Suritteok (rice case), and Ssireum (Korean wrestling). Dano is also a seasonal festivity closely related to fans, as a Korean proverb succinctly states, "The best gift on Dano is a fan, and on Dongji (the winter solstice) a calendar." The tradition of giving fans as a special Dano gift had been maintained until the late Joseon era. Even the king celebrated Dano by granting Dano fans to the courtiers, from the highest to the lowest rankings. Common folks as well welcomed the festival and the forthcoming summer by exchanging fans called Danoseon as gifts.
"Two types of Korean fans: banggubuchae and jeopbuchae"
Korean fans are largely divided into two: banggubuchae and jeopbuchae. Banggubuchae is a fan composed of a handle and a semi-circular leaf attached to it which is covered by fine gauze, silk or paper. This fan is then further divided into several types according to the shape - eoyeopseon ("paulownia fan"), yeonyeopseon ("lotus leaf fan"), pachoseon ("plantain leaf fan"), and oyeopseon ("paulownia leaf fan"). The widely known taegeukseon ("yin-yang fan") is also one of banggubuchaes. Another major type, jeopbuchae, is a folding fan which is subdivided into several types according to the shape, use, finishing touch or size. The most famous Korean folding fan is hapjukseon ("double-bamboo fan"), which is made, as the name suggests, by riveting bamboo strips placed one upon another.
"Jeonju, home of Korean fans"
In Korea, a greater number of fans have been made in the Jeollado area such as Naju, Damyang, Namwon and Jeonju, mostly because of its climate--mild with a lot of rain?it offers a great environment for growing bamboo, the major material for Korean fans. Each of these towns gained nationwide reputation with its own fans - Naju with oyeopseon, Damyang jeopbuchae, Namwon with gwanggoseon, miseon and ssangjukseon, and Jeonju with hapjukseon and taegeukseon. While all of these fans have been highly regarded nationwide, Jeonju fans have been particularly highly valued probably because it is the home of Korean mulberry paper, another important material for fans.
Taegeukseon and Hapjukseon made by two master artisans of Jeonbuk
A master craftsman of the art of fan making is given an honorary title of Seonjajang from the Korean government. The makers of the fans displayed in this exhibition, Chung-ik Jo (pen-name Jukjeon) and Ju-won Eom (Miseon), are holders of this title, one for taegeukseon and the other for hapjukseon. Jo is well known as the one who introduced a unique painting technique to his art as well as the maker of the world's largest fan, one with a 2.6-meter length. Eom, who recently passed away, was famous as the head pupil of Jun-ha Mun, one of the greatest hapjukseon makers of the modern era. This exhibition of the works made by two of the greatest fan makers of our time will be a rare experience for all visitors.
Unveiling the world's largest fan in Samcheonggak
This Dano fan exhibition held at Samcheonggak is a rare outing for masterpieces of Korean fans, including the world's largest, made by two of the greatest fan artisans of our time.
Fan Making: A Special Participation Program for Children
A special participation program will take place at Samcheonggak on June 20 (Sun) in which children are invited to the fascinating world of Korean fans. The participants will have a rare opportunity to make their own hapjukseon fan under the guidance of Jae-su Eom, the head pupil of the late Ju-won Eom, master artist of Hapjukseon making. It will be a great Dano experience for all young participants
We at Samcheonggak hope our special cultural program for this summer, A Dano Fans Exhibition, will attract your interest. |