Analysis of Paint Pigments on King's Silk Ceremonial Robe with Nine Symbols

은조사 구장복의 채색안료 분석

A gujangbok is a king's silk ceremonial robe embroidered with nine symbols that represent the essential virtues that a king needs to govern his country. The National Museum of Korea currently own a gujangbok worn by King Gojong in the late Joseon Dynasty. The robe is painted with various colors, including red, yellow, blue, green, and gray. μ-XRF and analysis was conducted on the pigments, and it was found that the red color was made from cinnabar, the yellow color was gold and brass, the blue color was a blue organic pigment and white lead, the green color was a synthetic pigment composed of copper and arsenic, and the gray color pigment was silver. Also, the pigments were compared to those used to make the patterns of a queen's ceremonial robe and a front cloth panel, both made around the same time and also owned by the National Museum of Korea. The comparative analysis revealed clear differences and similarities between the various pigments. The resulting data expect to serve as a useful foundation research for future studying of the pigments used by the Joseon royal court in the late nineteenth century.

국립중앙박물관에 소장되어 있는 은조사 구장복은 조선 말기에 고종이 착용하였던 것으로 기록된 구장문이 그려진 대례복의 하나이다. 이 장문은 왕이 나라를 통치함에 있어 필요한 덕목을 상징적으로 표현한 것으로, 적색·황색·청색·녹색, 회색의 안료로 채색되어 있다. XRF 분석 결과, 적색 안료는 진사/주, 황색 안료는 금·황동, 청색 안료는 청색 유기안료와 연백, 녹색 안료는 구리-비소로 구성된 합성안료인 양록, 회식 안료는 은으로 판단되었다. 또한 유사한 시기에 제작된 국립중앙박물관 소장 적의본과 폐슬본의 안료 성분을 비교 검토한 결과, 차이점과 유사점을 확인할 수 있었다. 이러한 분석 결과는 19세기 말 궁중에서 사용된 안료에 대한 기초적인 자료로 활용할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.