Recording State Rites in Words and Images: Uigwe of Joseon Korea

A beautifully illustrated, interdisciplinary look at the ceremonies and protocols of the dynastic court of Joseon Korea

Recording State Rites in Words and Images provides an engaging and in-depth exploration of the large corpus of court statutes compiled during the Joseon dynasty of Korea. The term uigwe, commonly translated as ＂royal protocols,＂ is the name given to the collection of nearly four thousand books that were commissioned and written to document the customs, rituals, rules, protocols, and ceremonial practices of the Joseon dynasty. In this generously illustrated book, Yi Song-mi introduces readers to the rich and varied documentary tradition embodied in the uigwe, sharing invaluable insights into time-honored court customs through text and images and analyzing changes in ritual practice over time.

The first comprehensive study of its kind in English, Recording State Rites in Words and Images presents groundbreaking research that opens a window on Korean history and art and will serve as an inspiration to students, scholars, and anyone interested in topics such as dynastic customs, court artists, and bookmaking.

Published in association with the P. Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Center for East Asian Art at Princeton University

Yi Song-mi is professor emerita of art history at the Academy of Korean Studies in Seongnam, South Korea. Her books include Searching for Modernity: Western Influence and True-View Landscape in Korean Painting of the Late Chosŏn Period and Korean Landscape Painting: Continuity and Innovation through the Ages.