Wedding robe

Korea

late 19th–early 20th century

Silk

Minneapolis Institute of Art

For most of the Joseon dynasty, only aristocratic women could wear the grand ceremonial robes known in Korean as hwarot. But in the late 1800s, women of all classes gained the ability to wear them. For this wedding robe, each color of silk also features a different design motif. The pink silk used on the sleeves, for example, features a geometric design of small diamond shapes while many of the other silks feature floral and vegetal patterns. All are symbolic and meant to provide wishes of happiness for the bride and her groom. Gallery Not on View Gift of Kang Collection, Korean Fine Art, in honor of Dr. Matthew Welch