Characteristics of Silk fabrics which was Collected in Temples of the Middle and the Latter Term Chosun Period

조선 중.후기 사찰 견직물에 나타난 특성

An empirical review on silk fabrics of the Chosen period showed that they varied in kind and design according to their uses. Thus the purpose of this study is to classify the fabrics into temple and excavated fabrics according to their uses and collected places and then to examine characteristics of each type. Concerning fabrics collected in temples. satin was most used, followed by twill, tabby, multiply, leno and gauze and clossing fabrics in order. Tabby and silk fabrics used Ju(紬) as their main material. Cho( ) was much more used in fabrics collected in temples than in excavated ones. This indicate that Cho( ), more luxurious than Ju(紬), had divine applications such as covering Buddha s bones of temples. Brilliant, colorful multiply fabrics using goldern and color threads had high effects of ornamenting altar covers, umbrellas, surplices and palanquins. Fabrics held in temples adapted composite designs, in which more than two shapes were used, rather than single ones. Single designs employed plant shapes in most cases. followed by treasures pattern, geometrical, cloud and animal shapes in order. Most composite designs used a combination of animal and plant shapes, followed by plant and geometry, treasures pattern and plant, cloud and animal, and animal, treasures pattern and plant in order. Few excavated fabrics used animal designs while fabrics collected in temples were often designed with shapes of propitious animals such as dragon. Treasures pattern. representing a good omen of Buddhism, was often used sing1y or sometimes compositely with another design.nother design.