Summary for Library of Congress control number 2001394883


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1. The Era of Gochosun)
According to Dangun2) mythology, one day the bear and the tiger
asked for Hwanwung3) to become human, and Hwanwung gave to them
"a bunch of mugwort and 20 pieces of garlic" and said "You will be
human if you won't look at the sunlight for 100 days after eating these
things.". The bear followed such direction and could become a beautiful
woman after 21 days, but the tiger violated such direction and couldn't
be a person. Through this mythology, we can assume the beauty
environment at that time. That is, mugwort and garlic were used as
beauty materials. These two things are still being used for beauty by
adding to the food and bath water. Garlic is not much used for cosmetic
cream or toner comparing with mugwort because it has spicy flavor that
lasts for long hours.
Considering beauty function create better appearance, change of the
bear to human being after eating mugwort seemed to be the concept of
the people at that time. In other words, application of the cosmetics was
not developed, instead, it was recognized that better appearance could
be made by taking the food effective for beauty.
We can also presume that the principle concept of beauty at that time
was white skin, through the story that "the tiger couldn't become
human because he looked at the sunlight". Restriction not to see the
sunlight was to make white skin. In the winter, the people of
Euproo(ancient Korean province) applied pork oil to the skin to prevent
sun tan, and the people in Malgal(another ancient Korean province)
washed their face with urine.
Pork oil contains the element whitening and smoothening the skin, so
it have been used by the European people for skin massage. Urine took
a role of soap when the soap was not available, to remove oily dust like
pork oil and to get whitening effect to the skin.
In the book, F-History of Garak Nationj, it is described that
"beautiful woman of square forehead politely came to the King". This
is expression of the situation when the princess Huh, Hwang-Ok of
Ahwita state met the King Suro. Square forehead is widened by picking
up the hairs around the border of the head and forehead, through which
we can guess that "short hair-picking beauty" using the tools were in
fashion. Square forehead is recorded as a symbol of woman of high
virtue until later in Chosun dynasty. To make square forehead, precise
tool would be needed, and it was presumed that the short hair-picking
tool was developed for such need.
Among the relics of Gochosun era, "Cheongdong Mirror" shows
detailed carving at the back, through which we can imagine the emotion
of the people in those days. The mirror at that time was used as a tool
reflecting the soul as well as the appearance. We can trace its root
through the Shamans who hold the mirror when telling fortune or while
attempting the figure out the ghost attached to the patient.
The record that the people of Mahan and Byeonjin4) tattooed like the
ancient Japanese people means that seeping skill was in fashion as
men's cosmetic means.
The beauty custom in Gochosun era was to express the healthy
beauty of whole body by taking the food corresponding to such
purpose. instead of making beautiful face only. The women at that time
was fond of making white skin and clean clothing fashion.
2. The Era of Samguk5)
After the era of Gochosun with beauty food fashion, a more
diversified beautifying culture was developed in the era of Samguk with
inducement of Buddhism, The eyebrow and lip line of Buddha
influenced the development of "drawing beauty" of the women, and
bathing of Buddhist priests to make the body clean before performing
sacrificial rite to Buddha were propagated to the public. It was
developed to the spa bathing together with general bathing, and bathing
for medical treatment was also developed gradually.
As the influence by Buddhism, use of perfumery increased rapidly,
and they were transferred to personal cosmetic use from religious use.
Then the method of burning incense and body perfuming appeared.
Among the women in Kokuryo (one of 3 states in northern area),
application of rouge to the cheeks and lips were in fashion, so that the
manufacturing technique of rouges was exported to Japan. In Shilla and
Baekje (two other states in the southern area), Yeonji application was
not so developed. In particular, development of Yeonji application in
Kokuryo was to protect the skin from strong winds and to hide the pale
face and emphasize the healthy beauty. The people of Kokuryo was
fond of thick colorful makeup.
The women in Baekje and Shilla had more interest in hair decoration
than facial makeup. Therefore beautiful hair design and accessories
were developed. Particularly, a culture of incense was developed in
these two states, and the trading of expensive perfume materials like
musk was made with China. Perfumes were used in the rooms at home
as a form of burning incense in addition to the use for Buddhist
ceremonies and for personal memorial services, Religious nature was
weakened and they were generally used as aromatic to refresh the mind
and to attract the opposite sex by stimulating the smelling sense.
Before unification, Shilla used the beautiful women to check the
personality of the men, but later stopped it due to scandals. Thereafter,
the state mobilized young men and made the group named "Hwarang6'"
to train them in the nature to have both intelligence and good
personality.
The concept of beauty of Shilla people was "beautiful appearance
from the beautiful mind", and they believed that good personality
would begin from learning to have a love for beautiful sounds of nature.
Women's beauty in the era of Tongil Shilla (unified Shilla state)
became more and more luxurious in dressing and cosmetic aspects.
Luxurious cosmetic means colorful makeup. Differently from the Shilla
people, Tongil Shilla people matched hair design with colorful makeup,
and, according to the order of King Munmu to make the same dress
fashion, it is presumed that the Chinese cosmetic fashion was
introduced and rouge makeup came into fashion,
In addition, men's beauty was much more developed by Hwarang
knights, comparing with any other times.
3. The Era of Koryo
in this era, facial makeup applying facial powder and drawing the
eyebrow was much developed. As the envoys were traded with China
and the king of Koryo became the son-in-law of Won (ancient Chinese
state). the clothing and makeup fashion of the princess of Won gave a
big effect to the women of Koryo and the beauty culture of Koryo was
also disseminated in Won by the "Donated Women".
According to Suh Geung, the author of rKoryo do kyungj who came
to Koryo as an envoy of Won, the women of Koryo enjoyed applying
the facial powder, but was not fond of rouge and perfume oil.
The fashion of bright colors in the previous era disappeared, and
tapping cosmetic culture was developed instead.
The lead powder applied by tapping in this era which was extracted
from the lead pieces damaged the skin with strong toxity, because lead
powder has no adhesive, people sought for individual cosmetic method
for the facial powder not to be separated from the face. Of course, the
puff and case for facial powder were produced according to the needs.
For the eye makeup including eyebrow drawing and eye shadow
coloring in this era, the eyebrow was drawn in the shape of willow leaf
by using eyebrow pencil, and coloring makeup using the powder was
widely developed in the era of Chosun. Nadai is the shape of the
eyebrow brush which was developed at that time.
High interest in the face washing agent and water to remove the
cosmetics was to avoid adverse effect of coloring makeup to the skin.
We can see the women's discreet mind through the washing bowls
which were carved of beautiful design.
At the end of Koryo era, cosmetic skills were more developed by the
influence of the culture of Won, which affected the cosmetic and dress
fashion of the kisaengl of special class with luxurious ornaments.
Though the perfumed oil was not so enjoyed, but not disappeared.
With continued worship of Buddhism since the era of Samguk, the
perfumes were commonly used and various skills using the perfumes
were designed. Those were juniper furnitures including the bed to
decorate the rooms, bug-conquering method, clothes permeated of
perfume steam, and taste food such as flavor tea, flavor liquor, etc.
In this era, mixed bathing of women and men was accepted. The
people used to enjoy bathing at the "Outdoor Public Mixed Bath" twice
in the summer. This act comes over and over traditionary that changed
to beauty customs in the type of bathing in mineral water in the later
times.
4. The Era of Chosun
There are two documentary records on beauty customs. FGue hap
chong seo_ written
by Madam Lee traces the origin of particular beauty customs and the
'Almanac_ tells us about annual beauty customs practiced in those
days.
Different from the Koryo period, in Chosun dynasty, where
Confucianism was dominating the lives of the people, women's life had
been oriented towards house keeping thus narrowing the scope of
women's activities. Naturally women became more conscious on
decorating themselves. Separating the radius of everyday activities of
men and women, women gained more opportunity and the time to
devote themselves to decorate and beautify their appearances.
Ornaments on mirrors, combs and hair accessories became most
extravagant ever.
Meanwhile, the role of women's quarters diversified. They were used
as living rooms, bedrooms, toilets, dinning rooms or even as bathrooms.
Most of the ladies stayed in the women's quarters day and night and
enjoyed partial bath in five or six washbowls from early in the morning
and spent about two hours to finish their morning make up.
Efforts on beautifying ones appearance brought development in
fancy ornaments, fine beauty products as well as on beauty methods
which demand time. This period of development in basic make-up as
well as make up colorings were the result of the introduction of advent
women who sell their beauty. The decorated and somewhat artificial
beauty of whom we call Ki-nyosl introduced make up coloring to the
common ladies of simple and refined make-up. They brought in eye
shadows and Yeonji(rouge) as well as drawing eyebrows according to
their facial shape.
Permission to make-up like queen on wedding day was the result of
the particular class system of Chosun Dynasty. Make-up for such
special occasion brought about lavishness in womens way of
beautification and naturally, the coloring method by Ki-nyos was
spreaded to the ordinary women.
The development of partial bath brought in a culture for using
personal washingbowl, bathing and washing etiquettes were established
at this time. Bath wares such as mats and bath towels became part of
everyday life of the normal people. In addition, resulting from the
development in partial bath, a variety of soaps were used for different
purposes. Liquid soap for washing hair, powder soap for facial wash
and so on.
It is interesting to take a glance at the change in mirror. Not only the
size grew from the small mirror to full length mirror, portable mirrors
changed into fixed mirrors. A small chest with drawers that supported
the small mirrors became a dressing table so that they could not only
keep their beauty care products but also used as a decoration or even for
display.
During this age, the use of perfumery were widely spread. Aroma
bathing and applying dried herbs had therapeutic effects as well. As the
annual customs became stabilized, those beauty customs in harmony
with nature came to in practice every year and handed down as a
tradition.
Those beauty customs stated in the Almanac is a process of
assimilating one's being with nature. They may be purely a pursuit
towards beauty, a protection, a therapy or even just a form of recreation.
We can see the beauty concept of women in those days that anything in
harmony with nature is beautiful.
Different from the previous era, in the Chosun dynasty, there were
many prohibited beauty taboo customs which were resulted from
incantatory elements to protect against anything harmful.
By the end of Chosun period, imported cosmetics were used by high
class women and the kisaengs and due to the mass production of Park's
powder(powder by maid park's), cream and toner by professional
cosmetic companies, beauty advertisements appeared in newspapers.
These extensive beauty advertisements not only promoted cosmetic
sales but also taught women about the appropriate method of cosmetic
use.
Public baths at the end of Chosun period were divided into men's and
women's. However those baths were not popular to the public even
with not much facilities for private bath because people felt uneasy
about showing their figure to others. Due to the introduction of public
baths, the culture of using different washbowls and towels for different
parts of body disappeared and a new form of bath custom had taken
place.



Library of Congress subject headings for this publication:
Cosmetics -- Korea -- History,
Beauty culture -- Korea -- History,
Korea -- Social life and customs,