the solo exhibition of ‘Just one wish, let’s be happy, my baby’ by Park Yeong-ae, a transmission instructor of the National Intangible Treasure Chimseonjang (needleship master), had many implications. The message of her exhibition held at Gallery Millstudio at the end of last year on the theme of parents' love for their children is as follows. “It is a mother’s heart to want to dress, feed, and show her baby the clothes she has stitched for well-being of her baby and lifelong happiness while embracing her for 10 months. I wanted to show off clothes that I want to wear the baby because I am grateful that the baby was born safely, that the baby is smiling and growing well for 100 days, and that the baby is smiling and growing well throughout the year.” 

 

* baby blanket
It was used when carrying a baby, and it was made easy to wash by attaching a 'dongjeong(a long cloth attached to a jacket)' to the part that is prone to stains. 

* Bib

This is placed under the chin so that milk or saliva does not get on the baby, and the bib with two strings is wrapped around the neck. In a bib with three straps, two straps are worn around the neck, and two straps are wrapped around the child's body and tied behind the back.

* Cow horn pillow
This is a pillow with a mother's wish that the baby lives as long as the number of cow horns and unpolished outer hairs, meaning that the baby will grow up strong and healthy like a cow. 

* blanket
This is the baby's first blanket, and rice swaddling made with a lot of cotton is for ease of washing.

* jacket and pants
Like the number hundred, these are clothes quilted with sincerity in hopes of longevity. 

* jacket, pants, vest

These were splendidly decorated with gold leaf on the collar of the jacket. Since the child is still young, a blue stone belt is tied around the body to make it easier to move around, and windmill pants are worn so that errands can be done comfortably. 

* traditional Korean overcoat
This is a red-bronze sleeve with purple radishes, decorated with gorgeous gold leaf decoration on a boy's five-fold overcoat. 

* jeogori and pants, red margoja
These were splendidly decorated with gold leaf on the collar of the jeogori. Since the child is young, a blue stone belt is tied around the body to make it easier to move around, and windmill pants are worn so that errands can be done comfortably. 

▲ National Intangible Cultural Heritage Chimseonjang transmission education teacher Park Young-ae

Q. What does this solo exhibition mean to you?
It's a new beginning soon. This is an age of low fertility. To people these days, I wanted to let them know that there was something like 'Ah! this is how you prepared to raise a child’. I wanted to send a message that our parents raised their children with such sincerity, and that future generations also care about their children when dealing with them. 

Q. Looking around the exhibition, I felt that you have a lot of pride as a chimseonjang.
I started chimseon in my 20s and was taught by Jeong Jeong-wan and Goo Hye-ja in turn. I was able to do better thanks to the teachers who took good care of me with such affection. Needlework refers to anything done with a needle and thread. 

Q. As an educator, it seems like you feel a lot of responsibility.
I believe that we should not just focus on handing down our cultural heritage to our descendants. I think we should know and preserve the old things properly, but develop them consistently according to the trend and demonstrate creativity.  

Q. What are your future plans as a National Intangible Cultural Asset and educator?
Education is not something that can be done alone, it must be in harmony with the trainees. I put more weight on making active use of what I have learned. If you just learn socks, skirts, and jeogori and pile them up, they will be nothing more than pretty luggage. 

지윤석 기자  jsong_ps13@naver.com