Exhibition on monkeys in celebration of the year of monkey

A monkey dedicates the Buddhist scriptures to an old monk sitting on a pine tree. Though it is an animal, it kneels down and presents the scriptures to the monk seriously. It is “Song Ha Go Seung Do” by Jang Seung-eop, a renowned artist during the late Joseon Dynasty.

What did the monkey wrong? It is funny to look at the monkey that kneels down and raises its both hands above the head like a child who is punished. It has cute eyes with dark eyebrows, calling for empathy. Below the celadon monkey figure is a squared stamp. It is a monkey-shaped celadon stamp made during the Goryeo Dynasty in the 12th century, which is currently owned by Horim Museum in Seoul.

The National Folk Museum of Korea is hosting a special exhibition titled, “Monkey” to mark the year of the monkey. It displays a total of 70 pieces of artwork including old paintings, ceramics, masks, and ink slabs. It sheds light on various implications of monkeys in Korean traditional culture, ranging from a talented animal to an auspicious one.

“Different Names of Monkeys,” the first section, explains monkeys with different names depending on the characteristics of their body parts. “Monkey, the 9th of the Zodiac Animals,” the second section, focuses on the monkey as one of twelve zodiac animal deities with the inkstone made in the late Joseon Dynasty. “Monkey, an Auspicious Animal,” the third section, shows monkeys as an animal representing success, longevity, maternity, and driving away evil spirits through paintings and craftwork.

sukim@donga.com