Sunday 24 April 2022

More about flowers, this time, Korean

 Years ago, I tried to find information about Korean flower arrangement traditions, wondering if it would be like Japanese and Chinese traditions; but I couldn't find anything on the internet. Now I've come across loads, via Korean Literature Now's article on Korean Garden Culture.

Searching for 'Hwaam surok' brought up two very interesting theses (I have no idea if theses are usually published on line these days)

Keumhee Oh's Exilic Experiences and Creative Practice: Insights from the lives and art of Scholar-Artists Exiled on Cheju Island during the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) is fascinating. Not really about flowers at all, but it is interesting how flower symbology is used in the art.

Sang-jun Yoon's History and Conservation of Gardens in Korea Vol. II is the appendices for their thesis which I haven't read. It has lists linking Latin names for plants with the Korean and Chinese terms.