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Research Article

A Study of the Five Peaks Screens in Relation to Imperial Portrait Production during the Korean Empire Period

손명희

국립문화유산연구원

Published: September 2025 · No. 327 · pp. 5-35

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31065/kjah.327.202509.001

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Abstract

This study examines the production and use of the Five Peaks Screens (obongbyŏng) in relation to imperial portrait (ŏjin) making between 1900 and 1902, when Emperor Kojong actively pursued the reinforcement of imperial authority. Drawing on records from the ŭigwe (royal protocols) concerning portrait production, the research analyzes the types and functions of the Five Peaks Screens according to their placement in the portrait-making procedures and further investigates their mounting styles. By comparing these textual accounts with extant artifacts, the study identifies the screens presumed to have been produced at the time and explores their stylistic features. During this period, various types of Five Peaks Screens were employed, including single-panel screens with wooden frames ( sappyŏng), folding screens ( ch'ŏppyŏng), and three-sided partition panels ( sammyŏn changja). The sappyŏng represented a newly emerging type that, like the portrait hanging equipment (kwaebonggi) used in portrait production, incorporated special devices capable of unfurling portraits from the top. Combining the sun, moon, and five peaks imagery with silk mounting, the sappyŏng functioned not only as a ceremonial object embodying dignity and authority, but also as a practical tool for enshrining and displaying the imperial portrait. Its functions extended from official viewing ceremonies to temporary enshrinement and the inspection of underdrawings. By contrast, ch'ŏppyŏng screens of four-, six-, or eight-panel formats were installed exclusively for temporary enshrinement. Their mounting practices shifted from the traditional use of narrow green silk strips at the edges to the use of purple silk strips and the addition of wide blue silk along the upper or lower borders. The three-sided Five Peaks Screens, used in the imperial portrait hall (Sŏnwŏnjŏn), consistently maintained their established mounting style.
Keywords: 오봉병(five peaks screen)일월오봉도(painting of the sunmoonand five peaks)어진(royal portrait)장황(mounting)대한제국기(Korean Empire)