• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.15
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• pp.66-77
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• 2014

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.