Orchids have been known as the means for self-cultivation for royal families and scholar- officials during the Joseon Dynasty. As such, previous studies about orchid painting mainly focused on ink orchid painting. However, the symbolic meaning of orchid originated in the pre-Qin periods when orchid was a totem. It was much later in Korean history that orchid began to symbolize virtuous men, as it assumed a Confucian value. Its various symbolic meanings were expressed in a variety of ways during the Joseon Dynasty according to the artists and the media they worked with to paint orchid. This article examines the types and meanings of orchid paintings on Joseon craftwork, which was commemorative and practical such as the inner cases for books made of jade, white porcelain with underglaze iron-brown painting, and blue and white porcelain that were commissioned by royal families and scholar-officials.