A Study on the Types and Functions of the Red Blinds(朱簾) used in Playacting Stages of the Royal Court in the Late Joseon Dynasty

Abstract

In banquets of royal courts held in the late Joseon Dynasty, a procedure that follows the customs as well as physical components to follow that procedure were necessary. A noticeable trait of the red blinds(朱簾) is that they are seen in the naeyon(內宴) types of banquets, which is mostly centered on the queen dowager and relatives, and they function as a makeshift facility that divide the different banquet spaces according to the hierarchy of the royal family. Furthermore, the red blinds within the court played an important role in the procedure of the banquet along with the incense, as it was drawn upon the queen dowager’s appearance to signal the beginning, and folded out again to signal the end. This indicates that they were of higher importance within the banquet space. The red blinds used in the playacting stage of the royal court not only segmented the space, but also upon being taken down, expanded and integrated the banquet hall, thereby maximizing the playacting stage. Once the banquet was finished, the red blinds within the court were once again folded out so as to restore dignity to the space. The red blind is a symbolic item that could open the private space of the court so as to enable communication with the public space, and also close it off to restore privacy. Also, the layout of the banquet space was divided by the red blinds into primary, secondary, and tertiary hierarchal space, according to the status of the royal family and the banquet attendants. In other words, the red blinds played an important role in its the symbolic meaning in the national precedent as well as distinguishing the hierarchy of space within the naeyon banquet in the royal court.