REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Republic of Korea
YEAR PRINTED: 1975
VALUE: 10 won
This stamp was issued by the South Korean government in 1975 to celebrate the country’s traditional dances. It depicts a chwibari, or scoundrel, from the Bongsan masked dance.
REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Republic of Korea
YEAR PRINTED: 1979
VALUE: 20 won
This stamp was issued by the South Korean government in 1979 to celebrate the country’s dance dramas. This stamp depicts a Yangban (aristocrat) mask used in the Talchum dance-drama of the Hahoe village. It is one of several Yangban masks to adorn Korean postage stamps.
REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Republic of Korea
YEAR PRINTED: 1989
VALUE: 80 won x 4
This sheet of stamps was issued by the South Korean government in 1989 to celebrate the country’s dance-dramas. The stamps flow into one another, depicting a collage of byolsandae dances.
REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Republic of Korea
YEAR PRINTED: 2000
VALUE: 170 won (sheet of 6)
These stamps were issued as a set of two sheets of six stamps by South Korea in 2000 to celebrate traditional Korean culture and history. The sheet and one stamp depict Yangju Byolsandae-nori dance-drama masks.
REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Republic of Korea
YEAR PRINTED: 2000
VALUE: 170 won (sheet of 6)
These stamps were issued as a set of two sheets of six stamps by South Korea in 2000 to celebrate traditional Korean culture and history. One stamp depicts Hahoe Talchum drama masks.
REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Republic of Korea
YEAR PRINTED: 2008
VALUE: 250 won (sheet of 2)
These stamps were issued as a set of two by South Korea on November 6, 2008 to celebrate masquerade jointly with Hong Kong. One depicts the happy Buddha from the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration, while the other depicts a Korean Talchum character.
TITLE: Yangju Byeolsandae Nojang Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Korea
SUBREGION: Yangju, Gyeonggi Province
ETHNICITY: Korean
DESCRIPTION: Nojang (Buddhist Monk) Mask
CATALOG ID: ASKR006
MAKER: Unknown
CEREMONY: Byeolsandae Drama
FUNCTION: celebration; entertainment
AGE: 1980s
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: cotton hood; paper; paint
Sandae noli is the type of masked drama in Gyeonggi Province and the Seoul region. The drama is accompanied by music played on a small samhyeon yukgak ensemble, consisting of three aerophones, one chordophone, and two membranophones. The full performance involves dozens of characters in different masks.
This mask represents an old, corrupt Buddhist monk, or nojang, who has a fondness for liquor and women. The black color of the mask is meant to convey the monk’s advanced age.
For more on Korean masquerade, see Jeon Kyung-wook, Korean Mask Dance Dramas: Their History and Structural Principles (Gyeonggi-do, Rep. of Korea: Youlhwadang Pub. 2005).
TITLE: Yangju Byeolsandae Gaksi Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Korea
SUBREGION: Yangju, Gyeonggi Province
ETHNICITY: Korean
DESCRIPTION: Gaksi (Concubine) Mask
CATALOG ID: ASKR007
MAKER: Unknown
CEREMONY: Byeolsandae Drama
FUNCTION: celebration; entertainment
AGE: 1983
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: cotton hood; paint
Sandae noli is the type of masked drama in Gyeonggi Province and the Seoul region of Korea. It was historically part of seasonal village festivities. The drama is accompanied by music played on a small samhyeon yukgak ensemble, consisting of three aerophones, one chordophone, and two membranophones. The full performance involves dozens of characters in different masks.
This mask represents the gaksi character, a concubine.
For more on Korean masquerade, see Jeon Kyung-wook, Korean Mask Dance Dramas: Their History and Structural Principles (Gyeonggi-do, Rep. of Korea: Youlhwadang Pub. 2005).
TITLE: Yangju Byeolsandae Miyal Halmi Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Korea
SUBREGION: Yangju, Gyeonggi Province
ETHNICITY: Korean
DESCRIPTION: Miyal Halmi (Old Grandmother) Mask
CATALOG ID: ASKR002
MAKER: Unknown
CEREMONY: Byeolsandae Drama
FUNCTION: celebration; entertainment
AGE: 1980s
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: cotton hood; paint
Sandae noli is a type of masking tradition from the Gyeonggi region near Seoul, Korea. It was traditionally performed on seasonal holidays as part of an annual village festival. The drama is accompanied by music played on a small samhyeon yukgak ensemble, consisting of three aerophones, one chordophone, and two membranophones. The full performance involves dozens of characters in different masks.
This mask represents an old grandmother who has been abandoned by her husband, searched form him, and is finally reunited during the play. Unfortunately, he now has a younger concubine.
For more on Korean masquerade, see Jeon Kyung-wook, Korean Mask Dance Dramas: Their History and Structural Principles (Gyeonggi-do, Rep. of Korea: Youlhwadang Pub. 2005).
TITLE: Yangju Byeolsandae Yeoniptal Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: Korea
SUBREGION: Yangju, Gyeonggi Province
ETHNICITY: Korean
DESCRIPTION: Yeoniptal Mask
CATALOG ID: ASKR010
MAKER: Unknown
CEREMONY: Byeolsandae Drama
FUNCTION: celebration; entertainment
AGE: ca. 1990s
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: cotton hood; paint
Sandae noli is the type of masked drama in Gyeonggi Province and the Seoul region, Korea. It was historically part of seasonal village festivities. The play is accompanied by music played on a small samhyeon yukgak ensemble, consisting of three aerophones, one chordophone, and two membranophones. The full performance involves dozens of characters in different masks.
This mask represents the Yeoniptal character, a high Buddhist monk with mystical powers.
For more on Korean masquerade, see Jeon Kyung-wook, Korean Mask Dance Dramas: Their History and Structural Principles (Gyeonggi-do, Rep. of Korea: Youlhwadang Pub. 2005).
