PHOTOS: 19th-century Korean folding screen, ceremonial robe restored

SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - A centuries-old Korean folding screen, along with a ceremonial robe of the Joseon Dynasty, have been meticulously restored after a lengthy conservation effort, officials announced Tuesday.

The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, in partnership with the Samsung Foundation of Culture, completed the restoration of the eight-panel screen, "Welcoming Ceremony for the Newly Appointed Governor of Pyeongan Province," held at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

The restoration, which spanned 16 months, was conducted at the Leeum Museum of Art's conservation laboratory in Seoul, addressing significant damage to the screen, a documentary painting that extends over five meters when fully unfolded.

Separately, a hwal-ot, an ornate bridal robe from the Joseon Dynasty, also housed at the Peabody Essex Museum, underwent restoration by Korean specialists. The hwal-ot, a symbol of high-ranking women's ceremonial dress, was brought back to its original grandeur.

복원된 평안감사도과급제자환영도 YONHAP — The restored eight-panel folding screen of the Joseon Dynasty/ Yonhap

복원된 — The restored eight-panel folding screen of the Joseon Dynasty/ Yonhap

복원전위과 후 모습 — "Welcoming Ceremony for the Newly Appointed Governor of Pyeongan Province" before (above) and after restoration. Courtesy of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation

복원작업 모습 — Restoration work/ Courtesy of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation

복원된 조선시대 활옷 YONHAP — The restored "hwal-ot," an ornate bridal robe from the Joseon Dynasty/ Yonhap

Cho Bo-hee jobo@ajupress.com

PHOTOS: 19th-century Korean folding screen, ceremonial robe restored

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