Spring First Encountered at the National Palace Museum... Morando Folding Screen and More Revealed

Morando Folding Screen

The National Palace Museum announced on the 13th that it has newly renovated the Royal Court Calligraphy and Painting Room on the basement first floor and will showcase about eighty various artifacts, including a large peony folding screen used in royal banquets.

The four-panel peony folding screen stands approximately 3 meters tall. Peonies have long been recognized as flowers symbolizing wealth and honor. In the royal court, they were used in ceremonies such as joyful rites (gare) and mourning rites (hyungry) to pray for national peace and prosperity (guktaeminan) and a peaceful era. In the exhibition, it is featured alongside the 'Flower and Bird Folding Screen' and the 'Gimyeongjeolji Folding Screen' as part one of the display.

The Flower and Bird Folding Screen is the work of Yang Gi-hoon, a calligrapher and painter from Pyongyang. It appropriately incorporates auspicious motifs such as pine trees, bamboo, plum blossoms, peonies, lotuses, chrysanthemums, pomegranates, and egrets. At the lower left corner, it bears the seals 'Seokyeon (石然)', Yang Gi-hoon's pen name, and 'Yang Gi-hoon In (楊基薰印)'. The Gimyeongjeolji Folding Screen is a piece by Jo Seok-jin and Kang Pil-joo, depicting rare old vessels, flowers, and various items together.

Royal Signature

Part two is composed of Joseon royal court artworks. Representative pieces include two signboards inscribed with classical Chinese poems exchanged between Crown Prince Hyomyeong and his officials, themed around the scenery near the Uidu-hap of Changdeokgung Palace, and the 'Eoje Gaengjincheop', a collection of writings by the king and responses from his officials. Visitors can also see private seals (sain) used by royal family members for personal purposes.

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