The Coreana Cosmetics Museum is located in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul and is the only museum in Korea that traces the history of traditional Korean cosmetic culture (spacec.co.kr). Founded in 2003, the purpose of the museum is to preserve traditional Korean culture and to improve the understanding of the history and trends of Korean cosmetic culture (spacec.co.kr). The museum displays various cultural and modern artifacts of cosmetic and beauty products such as cosmetic containers, makeup tools, fashion items (spacec.co.kr). In its permanent exhibition, you can learn about the chronological history of Korean cosmetic culture and view traditional cosmetic materials such as cleansers, powders, mirrors, combs, and powder jars from the early United Silla period (668 A.D.) to modern times (spacec.co.kr). It also showcases products from its neighboring countries of Japan and China, which have had early influences on traditional Korean cosmetics (spacec.co.kr). The Coreana Cosmetic Museum also features special exhibitions that change periodically, which display a theme in line with traditional Korean beauty aesthetics. I found it very interesting how these exhibitions were not solely about makeup or other cosmetic products, they also included clothing accessories such as hats (GAT), decorative items (the current exhibition is “The Beauty of Blue and White Porcelain”), exploring the daily lives of working women, the art of paper-making, etc. These exhibitions creatively showcase various perspectives of different values in Korean culture -- such as dignity, respect, labor, youthfulness, etc. -- as well as the values of different groups and social status.
It was interesting to learn about how much traditional Korean values for beauty have become such a prominent aspect of Korean culture and how that has transformed today’s cosmetic world. I would always hear great things about Korean beauty products on social media, which prompted me to learn more about the traditional values that ignited it all. Although the use of makeup and ideas of beauty have originated early on in various cultures, in traditional Korean society makeup was seen as care for not only the external self, but the internal as well (koreatimes.co.kr). Koreans believed that a good appearance could affect one’s inner self, so Korean men and women cared a great deal about how they looked (koreatimes.co.kr). When makeup was first introduced in Korea during the Three Kingdoms Era, the beauty standard was a round face, thin eyebrows, and hairdressing, which was influenced by Chinese culture (glamourflare.com). Everyone regardless of rich or poor status was absorbed into makeup during this time, with the look of a noblewoman or maid becoming the ideal image for women’s appearance (glamourflare.com). Overtime, face powders made from lead became a groundbreaking invention for cosmetics and used widely throughout the Korean traditional societies (glamourflare.com). As makeup became more widely used, beauty and luxury became sought after ideals for Korean women, which has become a major problem in the present day with hyper-fixation on outward appearance and cosmetic surgery in Korea (medium.com). Today, Korea has been described as a very classist country with extremely high standards of beauty, which some believe is a destructive norm that is further perpetuated by Korean society through celebrities such as K-pop artists and entertainers, and even job and school application processes that ask for a picture of the applicant (medium.com). Learning about this history and present-day values of beauty through the perspective of Korean culture will be helpful in future interactions with native Koreans. It’s important to be informed about things that people value in their culture as one’s outward appearance can really impact someone on a more personal level than what it may appear to be in casual conversation, so it’s important to keep in mind and be mindful of these societal influences when addressing such topics in conversation.
Sources:
http://www.spacec.co.kr/en/museum/museum1
http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2013/01/135_129776.html
Comments
This is a really interesting insight and I sadly agree with this insight into Korea's toxic beauty standards. I think the level of how much people are absorbed into the world of beauty and its standards stemmed from the constantly growing cosmetic industry within Korea and while that also heightened a sense of self-care back in the day, in modern times, it's gotten to the point where people are not satisfied with the way they look regardless of plastic surgery and feel the constant need to "upgrade" and change with the swiftly changing and capricious beauty standards nowadays. While self-care is important, the toxicity of the NEED to conform to a standard or not feeling good enough is scary. The history of Korea's cosmetics is really interesting and I myself and really immersed in it and do indulge (hahaha!), I really appreciate knowing the origins of Korea's cosmetics and to know that it is documented is heart-warming to hear!
Hey Kayla, Thanks for sharing this cultural post. In the past, I have often heard of the advancements and importance placed on Korean cosmetics. I know that beautify is especially important in the culture and find it interesting that people have chosen themselves as the canvas. I have heard history that some Asian cultures would actually stop or inhibit the growth of bones, such as feet, in order to maintain beautify. I have also heard that cosmetic surgery in certain areas of Korea is extremely popularized, such as the use of botox to eliminate wrinkles and surgeries to induce permanent blush or other forms of makeup.