The Type and Characteristics of the Clouds-Shaped Pattern

The clouds-shaped pattern is originated from Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. It stands for good-luck, longevity and productivity. It has been used on its own or with other patterns since the ancient times. It also has various forms. It particularly was used more frequently than any other patterns as a typical good-luck pattern, representing auspiciousness, divine authority, and so on in Chosun dynasty. The pattern, according to its component parts, is classified as individual type and compound type, which is mixed with other patterns such as treasure pattern, plant pattern, letter pattern, or animal pattern. For both individual type and compound type, swastika-shaped cloud pattern was mostly used. For compound type, the pattern compounded of treasure pattern was extraordinarily used a lot. In terms of the arrangement, the most common arrangement methods were brick-shaped arrangement and dense type arrangement, the arrangement method that spreads the patterns all over the surface. Among the fabrics with clouds-shaped pattern, satin damask fabrics had the majority. Clouds-shaped pattern was used a lot in men's Po(coat), such as Dahnryoung, Jiknyoung, Chollik, etc. rather than in women's clothes. It was a typical pattern used in Dahnryoung, an official uniform that represented people in the highest class in Chosun dynasty. The divine power symbol of this pattern indicated the authority and dignity that the upper class people could have.

조선시대 직물에 나타난 구름문양의 유형과 특성