• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2004

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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.244-255
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• 2023

Patterns abstractly depicting flowing water with Chinese characters such as gong, wan(man), or wang continued endlessly and curved water patterns began appearing on textiles during the Song Dynasty. Though Song curved water patterns encompassed poetic sentiments such as "falling flowers and flowing water," the meaning faded with time, and these patterns were depicted in backgrounds with flowers added to brocade (Geum-sang-cheom-hwa). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, combinations of diverse patterns, including flowers, butterflies, dragons, and auspicious treasures became fashionable, rather than the gong- and wan-shaped curved water patterns. Likewise, during the Joseon Dynasty, curved water patterns were preferred as background rather than as primary patterns. They were overlaid with flowers and clouds. The overlaid flower patterns included four-season flower patterns (17th-18th centuries), round flower patterns (19th century), and large flower patterns (20th century), which were identical to flower patterns fashionable at the time and arranged at intervals on complex curved water pattern backgrounds. In contrast, simple Ruyi types were more numerous than the four-Ruyi types fashionable at the time with regard to cloud patterns. Added here were Taiji (great ultimate symbol) or crane patterns, thus seeking to depict diverse auspicious Ruyi such as wish fulfillment and longevity.