Attire of Joseon Crown Prince's Coming-of-Age Ceremony on Display at "Gwanrye" Exhibition Until the 27th
by Lee Jonggil
Published 18 Aug.2025 09:32(KST)
Traditional Korean Needlework Society Explores Coming-of-Age Rites
Exhibition Highlights Ceremonial Attire of Crown Princes and Nobles
Restored Garments Reveal Rituals of the Joseon Dynasty
The National Heritage Promotion Agency will hold the annual exhibition of the Korean Traditional Needlework Research Society, titled "Gwanrye: The First Step to Meeting Myself," at the National Intangible Heritage Training Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from August 17 to August 27, 2025. The exhibition showcases the attire worn by crown princes and noble families during coming-of-age ceremonies in the Joseon Dynasty.
Gwanrye is a traditional rite that corresponds to today's coming-of-age ceremony. In the late Joseon period, it was typically held around the age of 15. During the ceremony, men would tie their hair in a topknot and wear a ceremonial hat, while women would style their hair in a chignon and adorn it with a hairpin, marking a change in attire for both genders.
The exhibition features sixty-six ceremonial garments crafted by forty-three members of the Korean Traditional Needlework Research Society. Visitors can especially view the full range of attire worn by a crown prince during his first Gwanrye, including the Chocheolbok, Chogabok, Jaegabok, and Samgabok, as well as the corresponding hats and elaborate accessories for each stage of the ritual. An agency representative explained, "The royal attire was restored based on the Gwanrye records of Sunjong and Empress Sunmyeonghyo from the 1880s, while the noble families' clothing was reconstructed using the late Joseon ritual manual 'Sarye Pyeollam (Four Rites Handbook).'”
The exhibition is open to the public free of charge.
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