Abstract
The purpose of this study was to establish the theoretical view for the analysis of the aesthetic characteristics of dress from the viewpoint of oriental aesthetics. Also, this study examined the universality and particularity of aesthetic characteristics in Korean and Japanese women's traditional costumes. To establish the theoretical view for the aesthetic analysis of dress from the viewpoint of oriental aesthetics, this study examined the relationship between the internal spirit of human, culture and the external form of dress. Based on this consideration, the viewpoints for the analysis of dress formation were the 'Form' as the basic structure of the external formation of dress and 'the Ornamentation' as the emphasis of the artistic characteristics of dress. The common world view shared by Korea and Japan holds the thinking system that everything is created from 'not to bee(無)' to 'being(有)'. This view emphasizes the totality and circulation of energy called 'Ki(氣)'. According to this view, oriental culture has been developed by intuition and pleasure called 'Heung(興)'. Therefore, the form of the oriental culture includes ambiguity and emphasizes the total harmony. These characteristics appeared in dress as the design of ambiguity, asymmetry and concealment. The meaning of the ornamentation in oriental world was the unified harmony of diversity and the colors and patterns of oriental dress were used by the symbolic meaning of Yin-Yang & Wu-Shing (陰陽五行)s principles. On the basis of the world view of the Ki, Korean and Japanese women's traditional costumes commonly shared the aesthetic values of concealment, emptiness, and symbolism. Also, their costumes expressed the difference, especially in the ornamentation. Korean costume expressed the beauty of simplicity and naivety, and Japanese costume expressed the beauty of ornamentation and nonornamentatIon.