Confucian scholar's house

during the joseon dynasty from the 1400s until the early 1900s Korean society was governed by a class of scholar officials these scholars attempted to create a model Confucian society based on strict codes of morality close attention to ancestry and an austere lifestyle scholars began their training at rural academies here they were instructed by master scholars in classic literature and calligraphy correct ritual observances were also stressed and each Academy had its own ancestral shrine in traditional towns and villages the scholar official often the clan head lived in the largest house these houses were enclosed within walled compounds and constructed with tile roofs in contrast peasant houses were built on a smaller scale using simpler materials and a thatched roof entering through the main gate of the scholars residence we encounter a separate wing intended for the senior man of the house here during the summer months he could receive guests on an open porch with wooden floors the study was simple and refined in keeping with Confucian principles among the main items here were scholarly books and writing implements the women's quarters were usually built in the area of the property furthest away from the entrance some had their own private inner courtyard and open porch area the principal kitchen was located next to the largest room reserved for the senior woman of the house a woman's room held clothing cabinets bedding and various sewing and embroidery materials bedding was stored during the day so that rooms could be used for a variety of purposes the lives of young upper-class women were largely confined to private areas of the home when a young woman married she moved to her husband's family residence the life of the scholar class is reflected in the artworks we see in the museum this folded screen depicts many of the objects used in a scholar study portraits like this one of a Confucian scholar wearing traditional robes and a horse hair hat were symbols of status this luminous white jar its color symbolizing purity honor order and modesty appealed to Confucian ideals of humility and virtue