Seongbuk Seonjam Museum Hosts '樂器 - Music and Instruments of the Seonjam Festival' Exhibition

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) is holding a special planned exhibition titled ‘樂器 - The Music and Instruments of the Seonjam Festival’ at the Seongbuk Seonjam Museum’s special exhibition hall until March 29.

This exhibition features traditional Korean instruments used in court music (Aak) from the collection of the National Gugak Center, along with costume materials, and showcases the special techniques and types of instruments by Kim Hyun-gon, a master instrument maker at the National Intangible Heritage Center (holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 42), and Go Heung-gon, another master instrument maker, with a vivid display of geum and seul instruments.

Also on display is the ‘Bak’ instrument decorated with beautiful knots by Noh Mi-ja, a knot master designated as Seoul Intangible Cultural Property No. 13, allowing visitors to appreciate the ornamental aspects that adorn the instruments.

Until now, the Seongbuk Seonjam Museum had only been able to present the music of the Seonjam Festival through literary materials, models, and audio recordings, but this exhibition is meaningful in that it allows visitors to gauge the composition and scale of the Seonjam Festival orchestra through actual instruments and costumes.

In particular, through full support including the exhibition of instruments and costume materials from the National Gugak Center, visitors can feel closer to the music and instruments of the Seonjam Festival and the ancestral prayers for silkworm abundance.

The Seonjam Festival, the theme of the Seongbuk Seonjam Museum, was a state-level sericulture (silkworm farming) ritual held during the Joseon Dynasty at Seonjamdan, Historic Site No. 83, located in Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu.

The music performed at the Seonjam Festival is Aak, which combines instrumental performance with Ilmu (a traditional dance performed in ranks) and singing, embodying the unity of music, song, and dance in traditional arts.

Reflecting these characteristics, this exhibition not only displays the instruments used in the Seonjam Festival but also costumes that were historically verified and produced by the National Gugak Center in 2005 for the Jongmyo Jerye (royal ancestral ritual) ceremonies. These costumes are currently worn by the Jeongakdan ensemble of the National Gugak Center when performing ritual music such as Jongmyo and Munmyo Jeryeak.

In the special exhibition at the Seongbuk Seonjam Museum, the costumes from the Jongmyo Jerye ceremony have been slightly modified in the color of the belts to match the Seonjam Festival ritual. Visitors can see up close the musicians wearing green robes with black leather belts and bokdu hats, performers in red robes with gaechaek hats and black silk belts, and Ilmu dancers in navy robes with red sashes wearing jin-hyeon-gwan and piban hats. The costumes displayed alongside the instruments used in the Seonjam Festival evoke a vivid sense of life, as if the musicians are about to play their instruments and dance.

Additionally, the Seongbuk Seonjam Museum is hosting a Seonjam Winter Experience event for children and youth during the winter vacation. From the 14th to the 17th, families including children can learn about silkworms and weaving, and participate in making silk scarves.

For more detailed information about this exhibition and educational programs, please visit the website (http://museum.sb.go.kr).

Inquiries can be made to the Seongbuk Seonjam Museum at ☎744-0027.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.