Notes - exploring Korean Art

"Hope for longevity and a blessed life became an ultimate goal for Koreans since the late Choson dynasty, when society became stabilized and the quality of life improved." Yeol-su Yoon pg. 15 I looked up the Choson Dynasty for dates and brief background as my understanding of Korean History is rudimentary at best.  Chosŏn dynasty , also called  Yi dynasty , the last and longest-lived imperial  dynasty  (1392–1910) of  Korea . Founded by Gen.  Yi Sŏng-Gye , who established the capital at Hanyang (present-day  Seoul ), the kingdom was named Chosŏn for the state of the same name that had dominated the Korean peninsula in ancient times. The regime is also frequently referred to as the Yi dynasty, for its ruling family.  https://www.britannica.com/topic/Choson-dynasty   Again my Korean history is something I'm working out in tandem with art and culture but seems like 1910 Korea was under Japanese rule? So again I Googled and found this: Between 1910 and 1945 the  Empire of Jap

 I am still reading "Handbook of Korean Art, Folk Paintings" by Yeolsu Yoon, translated by Wonjun Nam and Yoon says that the image of Buddha's hand, the pulsugam, means plentiful offspring, long life and bountiful happiness. pg 17  In the glossary at the back of the book he says that pulsugam (Buddha's hand cirtrus) is a symbol wealth. I don't know what Buddha's hand citrus means so I looked up some images on Google. I don't think I've ever seen this fruit. Not even in the fancy grocery stores. And I kind of wondered how this fruit is depicted in art. So I looked that up as well. I am taking these notes during January 2021 and while we are not in "lock down" due to COVID, libraries and museums are not easily accessible to me in Nelson County VA so I'm doing my best via Google. And frankly, that isn't too bad. Imagine 30 years ago, pre Google, pre public internet... I found this image via the British Museum Images:  https://www.bmimage

 I am reading "The Handbook of Korean Art, Folk Painting" by Yeolsu Yoon. I'm reading the English translation, translated by Wonjun Nam. I particularly enjoy learning about folk art because it is a peak into the culture. Yoon writes "bats were harbingers of happiness."  photo borrowed from the Zentner Collection https://www.zentnercollection.com/items/1251229/Antique-Korean-Chest-Bat-Handles As bats are nocturnal, Yoon writes that the Koreans believed that the bats were out at night bringing good fortune while the other animals were asleep. It was common to see cashboxes and rice chests with bat handles.              In this description about bats Yoon also mentions the Buddhist Swastika. What is a Buddhist Swastika? Well I don't know, so I Googled it and I came across this article: Buddhist monk raises awareness about the swastika's original meaning.   Nakagaki is trying to raise awareness about the swastika’s peaceful Sanskrit origins. His new book,  T