(Dept. of Fashion Design & Industry, Silla University)
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(Dept. of Clothing & Textiles, Chungnam National University)
This study is to research the influence of Caesalpinia sappan which was imported through the exchanges between the Chosun dynasty and Japanese envoys during the early Chosun dynasty. Korea interchanged politically and culturally with Japan since ancient times. Particularly, the good-neighbor foreign policy toward Japan grew into trade relations. The diplomatic mission, under the name of Tongshinsa, was dispatched 12 times in total. Plenty of goods were exchanged through the visiting of Japanese envoys as well as through the activities of Korean envoys. In other words, the Korean-Japanese relations were at first focused on the political and diplomatic etiquette and gradually evolved into economic exchanges. Trading goods were various, including food, clothing, etc. Caesalpinia sappan, a red dye, was the most imported goods from Japan, but it was sold at a very high price, which caused luxurious trends in clothing. However, these sumptuous moods of the upper classes were decreased in the 16th century. Some of the reasons are : the difficulties of Japan's trade with the Caesalpinia sappan producing countries in South-east Asia, the transition of the high classes' preference from red clothing into Chinese BaecSa and SaraNeungDan, and the comparative decrease in the demand of Caesalpinia sappan by the changed understanding of Honghwa. Therefore, the early Chosun dynasty's clothing trends were due to the relationships between the Chosun dynasty and Japan.