Culture
(Un)Veiling: the Joseon Period
Modesty and veiling is not just a ‘Muslim thing’
So, I was watching my current guilty little pleasure: ‘The King’s Affection’ on Netflix, and the following dialogue came up:
“Allow me to see your face … Let me see your face clearly … Let me see — ” a guard asks Hwi (dressed in female clothing), whom he’s after.
Ji-un suddenly appears, bashes the guard’s hand away, and spins Hwi round to face him — away from the guard. “My lady, are you that upset?” he asks Hwi, “You walked away so quickly. I told you I was not looking at other ladies.” Then, to the guard, he says, “Thank you for you service, but how dare you try to look at my wife without permission? She is so stunning that her beauty will blind you.”
“Well, you see,” says the guard, “I was not trying to see…”
“Right!” chime in some nearby ladies, “Why do you have to look at her face? She’s married. Stop bothering her.”
It struck a chord with me, as a Muslim, how close these sentiments are to traditional/Orthodox interpretations of the Quran and Sunnah on what may be shown to non-Mahram (unrelated) men.
Unfortunately there is not a great deal of information easily accessible in English, but what follows is a little rabbit hole trip to veiling in the Joseon period (1392–1897)…
Confucianism in the Joseon dynesty
Confucianism was the Korean Peninsula’s main ideology by the time of the Joseon period.
남녀칠세부동석
男女七歲不同席
“Males-females age-seven not-same-seat!”
According to Confucian principles in the Joseon dynesty, men and women could not meet after the age of seven. There was clear gender distinction in every aspect of life: from the house’s structure, to out in the street where men walked on the right and women on the left. In addition, women were ordered not to show their face outside of their family, and so would cover their faces when going outside. Only the parents, siblings, parents-in-law and paternal and maternal uncles and aunts were allowed to see a woman’s face — similar to the quranic-prescribed mahram.
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands’ fathers, or their sons or their husbands’ sons, or their brothers or their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women’s nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed. — Quran 24:31
In order to conceal their faces, the Jang-ot, Sseugae-chima or Neoul were used.
The Neoul was worn by women of the court, the Sseugae-chima by the yangban (ruling) class, and the Jang-ot by the upper-middle class and commoners. This division wasn't strictly regulated and it relaxed by the late Joseon period such that both the upper and middle classes wore the Jang-ot.
It was only after the Kabo Reforms of 1894 that upper-class women were allowed to unveil, although it persisted well into the twentieth century.
Jang-ot
The Jang-ot is a type of outer robe or overcoat, worn as a veil to cover the face of women of the Joseon dynesty.
The Jang-ot was initially worn as an overcoat until the 17th century, when it began to be worn over the head by the mid 18th Century, especially by noble women.
Despite its change from coat to headress, the construction of the garment remained the same.
Looking like a long coat with two sleeves and inner and outer collars, it is somewhat reminiscent of the Central Asian Paranja. Attached to the collars are ribbons, by which the Jang-ot can be held tight under the chin.
The Jang-ot was the typical woman’s clothing for covering the face when going out, and was the most widely worn of the three coverings. It was the headcovering of choice for the middle and lower classes.
Sseugae-chima
The Sseugae-chima was worn during the middle and end of the Joseon dynasty. Although there are no exact dates, it is thought that the Sseugae-chima was started to be worn from about 1536. Literally meaning “headpiece skirt” due to its skirt-like shape, the Sseugae-chima was commonly made from cotton or silk and was commonly white, jade or red in colour.
The Sseugae-chima was more highly regarded than the Jang-ot, but much easier to make than the Neoul worn by upper-class women. However, towards the end of the Joseon period, distinctions between classes weakened and women from every class were wearing the Sseugae-chima.
The Sseugae-chima disappeared from Ewha University and Yeondong in 1908, and was banned from Baehwa University in 1911 (being replaced by umbrellas). The Sseugaechima persisted, especially in rural areas, well into the mid 19th century.
It is the Sseugae-chima that Hwi wears in ‘The King’s Affection’ episode 12, which started off this exploration.
