Koryŏ Dynasty (918-1392)
• Korea, 1000-1400 A.D. [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"Some of the most outstanding achievements in Korean art and culture date to the Koryŏ dynasty (918–1392), which rules the peninsula for nearly 500 years." With a period overview, list of key events, and ten related artworks.
• Koryŏ Dynasty, 918-1392 [The Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
"The last Silla king abdicated the throne in the early 10th century and married the daughter of the upstart General Wang Kon, who founded the Koryo dynasty (918-1392)." A brief one-paragraph overview, with two objects representative of the period.
Chosŏn (Yi) Dynasty (1392-1910) and the Legacy of King Sejong (1397-1450)
• Korea, 1400-1600 A.D. [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"In an attempt to distance themselves from the former Koryŏ court and rejuvenate the country, the rulers of the new Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910) severely curtail the practice of Buddhism and embrace Neo-Confucianism as the official state ideology." With a period overview, list of key events, and nine related artworks.
Lesson Plan • Famous Koreans: Six Portraits: King Sejong [PDF] [Education About Asia, Association for Asian Studies]
Lesson plan designed "to provide an opportunity for students to learn about famous Koreans through readings and/or dramatizations." Brief overviews of the lives of six nodiv figures in Korea's history, including King Sejong (r. 1418-1450). Each overview is imagined as a first-person narrative written by the historical figure.
• King Sejong the Great [Asia Society]
A background essay about "King Sejong, a scholar (who) placed great emphasis on scholarship and education."
Han'gul, the Korean Script
• Korean Language [Asia Society]
A brief background essay about the Korean language, including a short paragraph about the modern Korean writing system, han'gul, which "was devised in 1443 during the reign of King Sejong."
Primary Source w/DBQs • Chŏng Inji's Postscript to the Hunminjeongum (Correct Sounds to Instruct the People), 1446 [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Ch'oe Malli's Opposition to the Korean Alphabet [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Neo-Confucianist Hostility Toward Buddhism
Primary Source w/DBQs • Pak Ch'o, Anti-Buddhist Memorial [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Early Chosŏn Land Reforms
Primary Source w/DBQs • Chŏng To-jŏn, On Land [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Social Stratification: Inherited Slave Status
Primary Source w/DBQs • "Inheritance of Slave Status" [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Literature
• Sijo Poetry [Sejong Cultural Society]
This resource page includes background on Sijo poetry, lesson plans, comparisons and contracts with haiku, video of teachers using in class, and links to other resources.
• The Sijo: A Window into Korean Culture [Education about Asia]
"The Korean counterpart [to haiku] is the sijo, a three-line vernacular verse form that dates back to the fourteenth century." Download PDF on page.
Ceramics
• Koryŏ Celadon [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
Discusses the development of celadon ceramic production during the Koryŏ dynasty (918-1392). With 11 related objects.
• Chosŏn Punch'ŏng Ware [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
A discussion of punch'ŏng ware, "the striking ceramic type produced during the first 200 years of the Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910)." With six related artworks.
• In Pursuit of White: Porcelain in the Chosŏn Dynasty, 1392–1910 [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
Discusses the ascendance of paekcha, or white ware, during the Chosŏn period, including its adoption as imperial ware in the 15th century. With ten related objects.
Find more art-related resources for Korea, 1000-1450 CE
at OMuRAA (Online Museum Resources on Asian Art)
