• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.1
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• pp.109-144
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• 2003

Orientalness is a concept that expresses the collective identity of the Orient in relation to the West. The concept itself is mutable and defined by the relationship between the two regions at different points in time. Changes in the concept depend on a number of factors, such as cultural influence, the political balance of power between the two regions, and on the interpretative scheme that defines the relationship. In addition, the geographical notion of the concept evolves culturally, socially and politically. During this process, Oriental-ness becomes Oriental-ism at times. I will attempt to survey and measure the progression of Orientalness from its emergence in early 17th century to its subsequent transformation in modern Korea as reflected in art theory and art works. The recognition of the comparative characteristics of Oriental art began when the Orient was exposed to the art of the West in the late Ming dynasty during the early 17th century. The changes in the artistic climate in China affected the late Chosun. I will start with a brief introduction of this time and the birth of Orientalness. The concept gradually changed during the period of Enlightenment(開化期) towards the end of the 19th century, and during the colonial period( 1910-1945) it took on a new form. Establishment of the concept of "Orient"as a single, unifying concept spanning across cultures and national boundaries has been attributed to late Meiji period Japan, whose intention at that time is believed to have been to build a pan-Asia(亞細亞) empire with Japan at its commanding center. It has been stressed that the real motive behind the formation of one single cultural unit, where the shared common written language was Chinese and Confucianism and Taoism were the common metaphysical traditions, was to build one political unit. When the notion of a geographical unit of Asia was replaced by the concept of Asia as a cultural and political unit, a massive growth of interest and discourse were provoked around the concept of Orientalism. When Orientalism was being formulated, Korea automatically became member of "one Asia" when the country became colonized. For Koreans, the identity of the Orient had to be defined in cultural terms, as the political notion of a nation was non-existent at that time. The definition of identity was pursued at two levels, pan-Asian and local. If Orientalism was an elite discourse centered in pan-Asian philosophical and religious tradition, localized Orientalism was a popular discourse emphasizing locality as the byproduct of natural geographic condition. After the liberation in 1945 from colonial rule, a thrust of movement arose towards political nationalism. Two types of discourses on Orientalism, elite and popular, continued as central themes in art. Despite the effort to redefine the national identity by eradicating the cultural language of the colonial past, the past was enduring well into the present time. As discussed above, even when the painting themes were selected from Korean history, the tradition of using history painting as a manifestation of political policy to glorify the local identity had its founding during the Meiji period. The elevation of folk art to the level of high art also goes back to the colonial promotion of local color and local sentiment. Again, the succession of the past (colonial) ideal was defended as the tradition assumed a distinct modern shape that was abstract in style. The concept of the "Orient" is of relative and changing nature. It was formulated in relation to Western culture or civilization. Whatever the real motive of the adoption of them had been, the superiority of the Orient was emphasized at all times. The essence of the Orient was always perceived as the metaphysical tradition as a way to downgrade Western culture as materialistic. This view still prevails and the principle of Orient was always sought in Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Even when Orientalism was employed by imperialist Japan in an effort to establish her position as the center of the Orient, the spiritual source was still in Chinese philosophy and religion. In art also, the Chinese literati tradition became the major platform for elite discourse. Orientalism was also defined locally, and the so-called local color was pursued in terms of theme and style. Thus trend continued despite the effort to eradicate the remnants of colonial culture long after liberation. These efforts are now being supported politically and also institutionalized to become the aesthetic ideal of the modern Korean art.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.63-78
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• 2017

The purposes of this study was to study Turkic clothing traditions as a way to shed light on cultural development via the interactions among different tribes along the Silk Road, the close correlations between the surroundings of the Turks and their costumes, and the root of Turkic culture through literature studies and empirical studies. The study results are as follows. First, the Turks were nomadic equestrian tribes in the north that dominated the cold dry steppes from the $6^{th}$ to $8^{th}$ century A.D., when they expanded their influence to Dongbei, China to the east, and Turkistan (Central Asia) to the west. The Turks formed a nomadic lifestyle and culture suited to a cold dry climate, and interacted with various other tribes via the Silk Road, while exchanging and sharing different cultural aspects. Second, given that the Turkic garments constitute a two-piece style, which is a category of the basic nomadic costume of northern tribes, and that the artifact materials manifest jackets, overcoats, pants and skirts, the garments are categorized into tops and bottoms. The tops are sub-categorized into jackets and overcoats. The bottoms are sub-categorized into pants and skirts. In light of the necklines of tops, jackets have round necklines, while overcoats have V-necklines, round necklines and lapel collars. The bottoms include narrow-legged pants, wide-legged pants and closed-hem pants. Drapery skirts are worn at the waist. Third, the Turkic V-neckline overcoat is comparable to the Huns' silk overcoat, which illustrates the ethnic link between the two tribes. Also, the Turkic narrow- and wide-legged pants are consistent with the Huns' silk pants discovered in Noin Ula. The Turkic costumes are mostly tight fitting, suitable for the nomadic lifestyle in a cold, dry climate. Also, additional patches must be attached to the crotch points of pants due to the equestrian lifestyle.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.149-161
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyse the revised contents of the history class in the Korean Decimal Classification(KDC), 5th edition, and then identify problems and propose the revised contents for the KDC, 6the edition. Major analysed areas are divided into four. First, geographic area table is discussed. It includes extension of the geographic area table, emphasis of hierarchical structure in the geographical area, revision of North Korean geographical names, extension of subgeographical structure of major nations in the world, and revision of nations in the central and west Asia. Second, Korean time period is extended. Third, the notes of entries of the Chinese and Japanese history areas are shorten. Fourth, the geographical and personal names are changed their native pronunciation, specially Chinese and Japanese. For the revision of the KDC, 6th edition, four areas are discussed: first, Korean geographic areas would be categorized by broaden area, second, the areas are arranged from the capital of the nation to others, third, foreign geographical names would be used their native names, and last, time period would be categorized by years.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.55-61
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• 2003

In the year 2000 we culminated a successful five year investigation of climate change by completing a preliminary east-west transect across Mongolia. An earlier tree-ring study at Tarvagatay Pass, Mongolia indicated unusual warming during the 20th century similar to other paleo-investigations of the northern hemisphere. This record had represented one of the few tree-ring records for central Asia. New data from several sites in western Mongolia confirmed the preliminary temperature. The highest twenty-year growth period for the composite record is from 1973-1994. The western Mongolian record was significantly correlated with the Taimyr Peninsula and two northern hemisphere temperature reconstructions reflecting large-scale temperature patterns while showing some important regional differences. These differences should prove useful for climate models. We have also developed a millennial length temperature-sensitive record at the Solongotyin Davaa site (formerly Tarvagatay Pass) using relict wood and living trees. Conspicuous features over the last 1000 years are a century scale temperature decline punctuated by the end of the Little Ice Age in the late-1800s and 20th century warming. The record also shows a cold period early in the 12th century and warm intervals late in the 10th, early in the 15th and at end of the 18th centuries. Despite a limited sample size before 900 AD, the long Solongotyin Davaa record is useful in indicating severe cold events and suggests some cold intervals nearly as severe. These tree ring series, spanning much of the circumpolar northern treeline, have been compiled to create a long-term reconstruction of the Earth's temperature over centuries. The new chronology, in addition to its value as a detailed record of Mongolian climate, provides independent corroboration for such hemispheric and global reconstructions and their indications of unusual warming during the 20th century.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.40
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• pp.243-270
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• 2007

Linked pearls pattern expressed on textiles have no limited scale or shape when manufacturing, so they are free in expression. And from the design, material, and color we can analogize the social culture of that age. Oriental linked pearls pattern was started from the Sasanian Persia and introduced through the Silk Road, so it is closely connected with the East and the West culture. This study will consider from the 5th century to the 10th century; the mural costume of the West Central Asia, the ancient textiles excavated from the Sinjiang and Qinghai area of China, and the linked pearls pattern which are collected at Shosoin, Japan. And from this study, will concentrate on clarifying the linked pearls pattern's condition of the cultural exchange between the East and the West and it's structural variation process. The design of linked pearls pattern delivered to the East through the Silk Road is differed by area. For example, in the Western Pamir Plateau, where the ancient Sogdians mainly lived, the excavated linked pearls pattern's subject were deer or cassowary variated from the West Asian motif. But the ones excavated from Kucha Xingang had Chinese motifs added so they showed Chinese characters or Buddhist Bodhisattva image instead of Helios. Like this, the appearance of new patterns, which were accompanied by structural variations, gradually deviated from the standardized pattern of the Sasanian Persia. And this structural variation process has relations with the construction and arrangement method of various patterns of the after ages. The foliated floral Spray, which is placed at the lozenge space of linked pearls' space, had developed into ogival - shaped pattern (Neunghwamun). And the prevalence of geometrical structure pattern after the 10th century and the unfolding method of Tapjamun which is arranging unit pattern in order, are similar to the linked pearl pattern. In brief, linked pearls pattern accompanied by technical improvement let us understand the polished artistic code from its expression, and has importance in showing universal pattern beyond region and culture.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.86-109
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• 2009

Mireuksa Temple was founded during the reign of King Mu of Baekje(AD 600-641). The circumstance of the construction of this temple is documented in "Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms (Samgukyusa)". The pagoda named stone pagoda at Mireuksaji temple stands outside the main sanctuary of the western area. The south and west sides of the stone pagoda have completely collapsed, leaving only the eastern facade of six of its levels intact. Through the recent discovery of sarira reliquary we can see that the erection of this pagoda was in 639. So owing to accumulation of excavation results about Baekje temple site and vigorous academic exchange, it is possible that architecture of western pagoda at Mireuksaji temple can be understood in connection with the architectural development of wooden pagoda from 6th to early 7th century in East Asia. So this study is on the consideration of building of this pagoda putting first structure of upper part and cross-shaped space in 1st floor. It was considered that the material characteristics as stone could be applied to the temple pagoda architecture of large scale. The results are as follows. First, it had been built in recognition that the outer and inner part of pagoda should be separated. As it is the expression of structural system in temple pagoda architecture of large scale at that time. In pagoda there was a self-erected structure and the members of outer part of it were constructed additionally. Second, in Mireuksaji stone pagoda there is central column with stones. With inner part of pagoda it can be regarded as mixed structural system that constitutes central contral column and inner structural part. And it could be a kind of middle step to more developed structure of whole as wooden pagodas in Japan. Third, as the sarira reliquary was in central column on the first floor, the cross-shaped space could be made. The formation of this space was so on the natural meaning of sarira that the concept as memorial service of graves could be apllied to the pagoda. The style of tomb in Baekje was expressed to the space of 1st floor in pagoda where Sarira had been mstalled. That was not only effective presentation of symbolic space but also easier method in the use of same material.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.34
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• pp.169-182
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• 1997

Focusing on khotan located in the southern Silk Route which was one of the most important kingdoms in the Tarim Basin this study attempts to examine the changes of costume in Khotan by compar-ing the costumes in the painted panel showing the story of silk princess with the excavated costumes from ancient tombs. Furthermore this study attempts to inves-tigate the impacts of cultural exchange be-tween China and its western neighboring country Eastern and Western Turkestan on costume. Excavated costumes from the Shanpula ancient tomb in the region of Khotan and from ancient Niya in the esat-ern border of Khotan and discoveries from Rawak and Dandan-oilik near by Yotkan the ancient capital of Khotan are exam-ined. Basic Khotan's costume was the two piece style of tops and trousers. Over the basic costume wearing a top wear with half sleeves was popular. Skirt was worn by women. Even though there were many kinds tops were classified into the two types kaftan and tunic. Thouth Khotan maintained a association with China for a long time the style of Khotan costume had imbued to China. Top wear with half sleeves was worn frequently in Khotan. Also in China top wear with half sleeves was worn as over-wear which was called ban-xiu ban-bi bei-zi Costume style of China is covering the body profoundly and wrapping front edge toward the right. The types of chi-nese top wear with half sleeves for exam-ple round-neck·confronting front edge crossing-neck·confronting front edge tu-nic type discord with the traditional chi-nese costume style There were many cas-es that half sleeved top wear was worn as over wear in T'ang dynasty. The phenom-enon was due to the prevalence of 'ho' (foreign) and half sleeved top wear was introduced by the countries to the west of China Khotan. A round neck garment was a general type for the men of cuntries to the westof China. Also Chinese wore round neck garment since South and North Dynasty The type of Chinese round neck garment was not tunic but kaftan. From costume relics and ancient paintings the type of Khotan's round neck garment was tunic which was recorded on the Chinese histori-cal documents as " guan-tou-shan" that is tunic the type of persian costume, Even thgough the painted panel showing the sto-ry of silk princess was made in the it me when Turks was a dominion on Central Asia Khotan's costume style was not changed toward Turk's costume style and remained tunic style.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.63-84
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• 2022

One of the ancient nomadic cultures, the Saka is generally regarded as an important intermediary in the ancient Eurasian cultural network. This study is the reinterpretation of the excavations conducted on the Katartobe tombs site of the Saka culture through a joint three-year-long project by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in Korea in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Research Institute under the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main discussion of the study deals with the burial rituals performed by the community who built the Katartobe tombs by the comparison and review of the various researches on the Saka tombs based on the archaeological artifacts discovered during excavation. The research has shown that the Saka tribes maintained the tradition of burying domesticated animals, such as horses, with its owner and performed burial rituals which often involved the use of fire. The archaeological remains of the Saka also show that the burial rituals like these formed the key aspect of their cultural heritage. The archaeological discoveries also show that the Saka mourners built wooden cists under a single mound when they needed to bury multiple corpses at once and sustained the practice of excarnation when burying the bodies of those who died in the different periods of time. Some burials included a tomb passage which was used not only for carrying the deceased but also for a separate burial ritual. The main discussion of this study also deals with the remnants of bones of animals buried with their deceased owners in the same kurgan, as well as the animal species and their locations in the kurgan, resulting in the discovery of diverse meanings connected with them. The pottery buried in the tombs were largely ceremonial offering vessels, just like others excavated at nearby Saka tombs and located around the buried corpse's head facing toward the west. The excavation of the tombs also shows that two vessels were arranged at the corners of the coffin where the feet are located, revealing the characteristic features of the burial practices maintained by the tribe who built the Katartobe tombs. It may be too early to come to a definite conclusion on the burial practices of the Saka due to the relative lack of research on the kurgans across Central Asia. Excavations so far show that the kurgans clustered in a single archaeological site tend to display differences as well as uniformities. In conclusion, the ancient Central Asian tombs need more detailed surveys and researches to be able to make strides in an effort to restore the cultural heritage of the ancient Central Asian tribes who played a crucial role in the Eurasian cultural landscape.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.417-427
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• 2010

The Lankawi archipelago is located in 30 km western offshore near the Thailand-Malaysia border in west coast of the Malay Peninsula and consists of 99 (+5) tropical islands, covering an area of about $479km^2$. Together with biodiversity in flora and fauna, the Lankawi archipelago displays also geodiversity that includes rock diversity, landform diversity, and fossil diversity. These biodiversity and geodiversity have led to the Lankawi islands as a newly emerging hub for ecotourism in Southeast Asia. As a result, the Lankawi islands have been designated the first Global Geopark in Southeast Asia by UNESCO since July 1st, 2007. The geodiversity of Lankawi Geopark today is a result of a very long depositional history under the various sedimentological regimes and paleoenvironments during the Paleozoic, followed by tectonic and magmatic activities until the early Mesozoic, and finally by surface processes that etched to the present beautiful landscape. Paleozoic strata exposed in the Lankawi Geopark are subdivided into four formations that include the Machinchang (Cambrian), Setul (Ordovician to Early Devonian), Singa (Late Devonian to Carboniferous), and Chuping (Permian) formations in ascending order. These strata are younging to the east, but they are truncated by the Kisap Thrust in the eastern part of the islands. Top-to-the-westward transportation of the Kisap Thrust has brought the older Setul Formation (and possibly Machinchang Formation) from the east to overlay the younger Chuping and Singa formations in the central axis of the Lankawi islands. Triassic Gunung Raya Granite intruded into these sedimentary strata, and turned them partially into various types of contact metamorphic rocks that locally contain tin mineral deposits. Since Triassic, not much geologic records are known for the Lankawi islands. Tropical weathering upon rocks of the Lankawi islands might have taken place since the Early Jurassic and continues until the present. This weathering process played a very important role in producing beautiful landscapes of the Lankawi islands today.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.98
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• pp.226-241
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• 2020

Located on the right side of the third floor of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the "Art of Central Asia" exhibition boasts the world's finest collection of artworks and artifacts from the Silk Road. Every item in the collection has been classified by region, and many of them were collected in the early twentieth century through archaeological surveys led by Russia's Pyotr Kozlov, Mikhail Berezovsky, and Sergey Oldenburg. Some of these artifacts have been presented around the world through special exhibitions held in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Korea, Japan, and elsewhere. The fruits of Russia's Silk Road expeditions were also on full display in the 2008 exhibition The Caves of One Thousand Buddhas - Russian Expeditions on the Silk Route on the Occasion of 190 Years of the Asiatic Museum, held at the Hermitage Museum. Published in 2018 by the Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House in collaboration with the Hermitage Museum, Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia introduces the Hermitage's collection of artifacts from the Kuche (or Kucha) region. While the book focuses exclusively on artifacts excavated from the Kuche area, it also includes valuable on-site photos and sketches from the Russian expeditions, thus helping to enhance readers' overall understanding of the characteristics of Kuche art within the Buddhist art of Central Asia. The book was compiled by Dr. Kira Samosyuk, senior curator of the Oriental Department of the Hermitage Museum, who also wrote the main article and the artifact descriptions. Dr. Samosyuk is an internationally renowned scholar of Central Asian Buddhist art, with a particular expertise in the art of Khara-Khoto and Xi-yu. In her article "The Art of the Kuche Buddhist Temples," Dr. Samosyuk provides an overview of Russia's Silk Road expeditions, before introducing the historical development of Kuche in the Buddhist era and the aspects of Buddhism transmitted to Kuche. She describes the murals and clay sculptures in the Buddhist grottoes, giving important details on their themes and issues with estimating their dates, and also explains how the temples operated as places of worship. In conclusion, Dr. Samosyuk argues that the Kuche region, while continuously engaging with various peoples in China and the nomadic world, developed its own independent Buddhist culture incorporating elements of Gandara, Hellenistic, Persian, and Chinese art and culture. Finally, she states that the culture of the Kuche region had a profound influence not only on the Tarim Basin, but also on the Buddhist grottoes of Dunhuang and the central region of China. A considerable portion of Dr. Samosyuk's article addresses efforts to estimate the date of the grottoes in the Kuche region. After citing various scholars' views on the dates of the murals, she argues that the Kizil grottoes likely began prior to the fifth century, which is at least 100 years earlier than most current estimates. This conclusion is reached by comparing the iconography of the armor depicted in the murals with related materials excavated from the surrounding area (such as items of Sogdian art). However, efforts to date the Buddhist grottoes of Kuche must take many factors into consideration, such as the geological characteristics of the caves, the themes and styles of the Buddhist paintings, the types of pigments used, and the clothing, hairstyles, and ornamentation of the depicted figures. Moreover, such interdisciplinary data must be studied within the context of Kuche's relations with nearby cultures. Scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating could also be applied for supplementary materials. The preface of Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia reveals that the catalog is the first volume covering the Hermitage Museum's collection of Kuche art, and that the next volume in the series will cover a large collection of mural fragments that were taken from Berlin during World War II. For many years, the whereabouts of these mural fragments were unknown to both the public and academia, but after restoration, the fragments were recently re-introduced to the public as part of the museum's permanent exhibition. We look forward to the next publication that focuses on these mural fragments, and also to future catalogs introducing the artifacts of Turpan and Khotan. Currently, fragments of the murals from the Kuche grottoes are scattered among various countries, including Russia, Germany, and Korea. With the publication of this catalog, it seems like an opportune time to publish a comprehensive catalog on the murals of the Kuche region, which represent a compelling mixture of East-West culture that reflects the overall characteristics of the region. A catalog that includes both the remaining murals of the Kizil grottoes and the fragments from different parts of the world could greatly enhance our understanding of the murals' original state. Such a book would hopefully include a more detailed and interdisciplinary discussion of the artifacts and murals, including scientific analyses of the pigments and other materials from the perspective of conservation science. With the ongoing rapid development in western China, the grotto murals are facing a serious crisis related to climate change and overcrowding in the oasis city of Xinjiang. To overcome this challenge, the cultural communities of China and other countries that possess advanced technology for conservation and restoration must begin working together to protect and restore the murals of the Silk Road grottoes. Moreover, centers for conservation science should be established to foster human resources and collect information. Compiling the data of Russian expeditions related to the grottoes of Kuche (among the results of Western archaeological surveys of the Silk Road in the early twentieth century), Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia represents an important contribution to research on Kuche's Buddhist art and the Silk Road, which will only be enhanced by a future volume introducing the mural fragments from Germany. As the new authoritative source for academic research on the artworks and artifacts of the Kuche region, the book also lays the groundwork for new directions for future studies on the Silk Road. Finally, the book is also quite significant for employing a new editing system that improves its academic clarity and convenience. In conclusion, Dr. Kira Samosyuk, who planned the publication, deserves tremendous praise for taking the research of Silk Road art to new heights.