Asian J Beauty Cosmetol. 2009; 7(4): 293-306.

A Study on Koryo Women’s Hair style Reproduced in Visual Media

Na-Young Choi, Un-Mi Choi, Jung-Sun Yang, Un-Jin Lee, and Ki-Young Kim

The purpose of this study was to examine Koryo women’s hair style reproduced in visual media and to explain the importance of historical investigation and the reproduction of hair style,which should be changed according to age. For this study, we analyzed three historical dramas with the early, mid and late periods of the Koryo Dynasty as their back ground, investigated hair style in the Koryo Dynasty using old literature, Buddhist paintings from the Koryo Dynasty, figure paintings on walls, and relics, and collected data related to visual media using photo graphs on the Internet. According to the results of this study, the hair style in drama ‘Queen Cheonchu’ with the early Koryo Dynasty as its background should have reproduced Gogye, the hair style in the Shilla Dynasty because, during its early period, Koryo established all its systems based on those from Shilla. However, the hair style in Queen Cheonchu seems to have reproduced the hair style in the late Koryo Dynasty rather than that in its early period. Court ladies in drama ‘The Age of Warriors’ with the mid Koryo Dynasty as its background show hairstyle quite similar to the style of the women in Munhig wih wando. According to Koryodogyeong (1123) written during the reign of the 17th King Injong, which is the same period as the Age of Warriors, gisaengs’ hair style was called Chumagye. The hair style of gisaengs appearing in The Age of Warriors also reproduced Chumagye well. In movie ‘Ssanghwajeom’ with the late Koryo Dynasty as its background reproduced Princess Noguk, who was King Gongmin’s wife, and her hair style was similar to that of Princess Noguk in her portrait. However, while the hair style in the queen’s lady attendants in Gwangyeongseobunbyeonsangdo painted in the late Koryo Dynasty was tied up,the hair style of court ladies in the movie i ssimilar to that of the noble woman in Gwangyeongbonbunbyeonsangdo. According to relics from the late Koryo Dynasty, court ladies’ hair style is believed to be closer to Gogye.

Keywords : The Koryo Dynasty, Hair style, Visual media, Chumagye, Gogye