Cheffins
Lot 97
An important Korean court outfit, 19th century, comprising of a cream undercoat, a green silk undercoat, a cream coloured baggy trousers, a green lined jacket with fold over ties, a full length coat, blue with a black outer layer, with double crane embroidered rank badges to front and back, and a white collar protector, two green sleeve protectors, a pair of white socks, a stiff belt with stone plaques attached, a pair of boots, a shagreen case and glasses, a samo hat, a fan inscribed with a poem, another loose rank badge and a sepia photograph which most probably depicts the present lot Provenance: Acquired in Seoul, circa 1865 (according to a letter which is included in the lot) Collection of William Franklin Sands (1874 – 1976) Sale; Salemsbury Hall, Blackburn, where acquired by the present owner in 1978 The letter which accompanies the photograph reads ‘This is a genuine Korean court dress bought by myself some 45 years ago in Seoul, the capital of Korea; it was worn once at a fancy dress party before the King of Saxony in Leipsic. They are now not to be had anymore, as the Korean people like the Japanese are now wearing a kind of European dress. LM Etwell ?’William Franklin Sands was the highest-ranking foreign adviser in the Korean government in the twilight years of the Choson dynasty. He was a United States diplomat most known for his service in Korea on the eve of Japan's colonization. across all items, - signs of wear, missing stitches and holes, discolouration. belt - this is a composition of hessian, card wrapped with silk, fitted with stippled lacquer sections which have been wrapped around the edges with white metal. this is in rather poor condition with the layers splitting apart, the clasp is only partial and the hook is missing. Main robe - this has a white lining, overlaid by a celadon coloured silk lining, and a navy silk voile over gown. There is discolouration to the pale underlayers, also some tears, missing stitches and some holes. There is a panel of embroidery fixed to the front, this is backed with card or paper which has become rather softened, it is attached at each corner to the robe. Pair of celadon coloured silk cuffs - these are separate, there is some historic damage and wear, the colour is uneven, hole measureing 2 x 1cm Pair of silk noile bags or pockets with tape closures at the top. Pair of linen socks - these have pink marks ot the bottom possibly from colour marking Double sided embriodery panel with a central bird beside water under trousers - some holes, these are held up by a pair of elastic braces which are rather worn. shagreen glasses and case - the glasses are difficult to remove, and the silk loop is only attached at one end.The case shows a little crushing and damage at the inside rim. fan - a few splits in the paper of the fan, this is held together with string at the base, this may not be original hat - is in poor condition boots are in fairly good condition with marks and scuffs consistent with use and age
