Dancheong
Encyclopedia
Dancheong refers to Korea
n traditional decorative coloring on wooden buildings and artifacts
for the purpose of style. It literally means "cinnabar and blue-green" in Korean.
It is based on five basic colors; blue (east), white (west), red (south), black (north), and yellow (center). Dancheong has various symbolic meanings. Dancheong also represented social status and rank by using various patterns and colors. It functions not only as decoration, but also for practical purposes such as to protect building surfaces against temperature and to make the crudeness of materials less conspicuous. Applying dancheong on the surfaces of buildings require trained skills, and artisans called dancheongjang (단청장) designed the painted patterns.
s and wall paintings which appeared more than 20,000 years ago in the history of mankind, although they may be served for different purposes and functions from the stylized dancheong.
In the 12th century document titled Gaoli tujing which literally means "Illustrated Account of Goryeo
" (918-1392), the Chinese author Xu Jing
described the majestic appearance of Goryeo's royal palaces as well as the luxurious dancheong on the places at that time. He said that Goryeo people liked building royal palaces and the structure of king's residence was built with round pillar
s and a square headpiece
. The colorfully adorned edge of the roof in connection looked like it flied to the sky. The book illustrates the resplendent dancheong in detail that the handrail
was painted in red and decorated with vine-flowers. Not only were the coloring and patterns very vivid, but also beautiful, so that the palace stand out among other royal palaces. There are several examples to exhibit the dancheong produced in the Goryeo period such as Josadang (조사당) of Buseoksa Temple in Yeongju
, Geukrakjeon (극락전) at Bongjeongsa
Temple in Andong
, and Daeungjeon (대웅전) of Sudeoksa
Temple in Yesan.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n traditional decorative coloring on wooden buildings and artifacts
Cultural artifact
A cultural artifact is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology, ethnology, and sociology for anything created by humans which gives information about the culture of its creator and users...
for the purpose of style. It literally means "cinnabar and blue-green" in Korean.
It is based on five basic colors; blue (east), white (west), red (south), black (north), and yellow (center). Dancheong has various symbolic meanings. Dancheong also represented social status and rank by using various patterns and colors. It functions not only as decoration, but also for practical purposes such as to protect building surfaces against temperature and to make the crudeness of materials less conspicuous. Applying dancheong on the surfaces of buildings require trained skills, and artisans called dancheongjang (단청장) designed the painted patterns.
History
The origin of dancheong can be traced from cave paintingCave painting
Cave paintings are paintings on cave walls and ceilings, and the term is used especially for those dating to prehistoric times. The earliest European cave paintings date to the Aurignacian, some 32,000 years ago. The purpose of the paleolithic cave paintings is not known...
s and wall paintings which appeared more than 20,000 years ago in the history of mankind, although they may be served for different purposes and functions from the stylized dancheong.
In the 12th century document titled Gaoli tujing which literally means "Illustrated Account of Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
" (918-1392), the Chinese author Xu Jing
Xu Jing
Xu Jing , style name Wenxiu , was a minister of Shu Han during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a brother of Xu Zijiang. After Liu Bei announced his submission to Liu Zhang, Xu Jing swore his allegiance to Liu Bei. Xu Jing was a very master judge of...
described the majestic appearance of Goryeo's royal palaces as well as the luxurious dancheong on the places at that time. He said that Goryeo people liked building royal palaces and the structure of king's residence was built with round pillar
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s and a square headpiece
Headpiece
Headpiece can refer to:*A typically thin metallic crown, headband, or tiara worn around the forehead. Commonly worn by ancient rulers, such as Cleopatra, headpieces usually carry some emblem of religious or political significance....
. The colorfully adorned edge of the roof in connection looked like it flied to the sky. The book illustrates the resplendent dancheong in detail that the handrail
Handrail
A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide stability or support. Handrails are commonly used while ascending or descending stairways and escalators in order to prevent injurious falls. Other applications include bathroom handrails—which help to prevent falls on...
was painted in red and decorated with vine-flowers. Not only were the coloring and patterns very vivid, but also beautiful, so that the palace stand out among other royal palaces. There are several examples to exhibit the dancheong produced in the Goryeo period such as Josadang (조사당) of Buseoksa Temple in Yeongju
Yeongju
Yeongju is a city in the far north region of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea, covering 668.84 km2 with a population of 113,930 people according to the 2008 census...
, Geukrakjeon (극락전) at Bongjeongsa
Bongjeongsa
Bongjeongsa is a Korean Buddhist temple on the slopes of Mount Cheondeung in Andong city, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is a subsidiary temple of Gounsa, the head temple of the 16th branch of Jogye Order....
Temple in Andong
Andong
Andong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...
, and Daeungjeon (대웅전) of Sudeoksa
Sudeoksa
Sudeoksa is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is located on the southern slopes of Deoksungsan in Deoksan-myeon, Yesan County, in the province of Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea....
Temple in Yesan.
See also
- Architecture of Korea
- HanokHanokHanok is a term to describe Korean traditional houses. Korean architecture lends consideration to the positioning of the house in relation to its surroundings, with thought given to the land and seasons....
- Korean Buddhist templesKorean Buddhist templesBuddhist temples are an important part of the Korean landscape. This article gives a brief overview of Korean Buddhism, then describes some of the more important temples in Korea. Most Korean temples have names ending in -sa , which means "temple", or ancient temple.-Introduction to Korean...
- Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea