뉴스레터

Traces of Koguryo’s Costumes found in the Tungusic Peoples

  The Greater Khingan Range and Amur River region are inhabited by the Ewenke, Oroqen, and Hezhen from the west. These groups, belonging to the Tungusic ethnic lineage, reside across China and Russia. The Ewenke and the Oroqen, engaged in hunting, make costumes using animal skins. The Hezhen, involved in fishing, make costumes using fish scales. The Hezhen were also known as the ‘fish-skin tribe’ due to their use of fish scales as a clothing material.

  The Northeast Asian History Foundation has conducted field surveys on the Tungusic peoples in northeast China for three years since 2015. I participated in this project and was able to see how the costumes of the Tungusic people. Unfortunately, they don’t wear traditional costumes in their daily lives. However, I was able to learn about the characteristics of traditional costumes through the displayed costumes at the museum and conversations with elderly individuals who remember their production methods. I couldn't control my excitement when I discovered traces of Koguryo costumes and shoes within the costumes of the Tungusic peoples.

Polka-dot Patterned Coat made of Formosan Deer Skin

  The most notable feature of Koguryo costumes is the diverse polka-dot patterns. The polka-dot patterns can be found in various garments such as jackets, pants, overcoats, and skirts worn by numerous figures, including dancers, depicted in the Muyongchong mural painting. The male dancers in Muyongchong wear jackets and pants with polka-dot patterns, dancing, while female dancers in the same Muyongchong mural painting wear long-sleeved coats with polka-dot patterns, dancing. Not only that, but also the host welcoming the guests, as well as the servants and maids attending their duties, are dressed in polka-dot patterns.

  So how did the Koguryo people create polka-dot patterns? There are various methods used to create polka-dot patterns. They could be painted, stamped, or embroidered. One of them may have utilized the polka-dot patterns of Formosan deer, like the Tungusic peoples. Polka-dot patterns are also be found in the costumes of the Oroqen, Ewenke, and Hezhen. These polka-dot patterns of costumes were made using deer skins, specifically Formosan deer or Cervus nippon. Only the polka dots on the back of the deer are stitched together to make it look like the polka dots are spread across the entire garment. A coat made with polka-dot patters of Formosan deer could be found in the ‘Oroqen Craft Museum’, which exhibits traditional Oroqen objects. Similarly, through photographs exhibited at the Hezhen Museum, I could confirm that the Hezhen people also wore clothing with polka-dot patterns.

  In particular, it was the moment that reminded me of the dancers in the Koguryo Muyongchong mural painting when I saw the Hezhen people dancing, wearing costumes with polka-dot patterns in the photographs.
The ancient Tungusic peoples considered deer skins as an important clothing material, and ancient literary records such as the 『Book of Wei』 often mention that “the ancestors of the Tungus, Shiwei, wore clothes made of deer skin”. Although there are no records of deer polka dots being used to make clothing, the polka dot clothing in the Koguryo murals suggests the possibility of utilizing polka dot patterns of Formosan deer.

Leather Boots and Black Beoseon

  The Tungusic peoples use animal skins to make shoes due to their cold climate and the need to traverse snowy environments. Typically, shoes are made from the skin of animal legs. These boots are lightweight, warm, and make no sound when walking, which is advantageous for hunting.

  The Oroqen people wear boots called “Aorouqi”. The bottom of the shoe is made of leather and the upper is made of fabric. Two leather straps are attached to the back of the shoe, and when worn, they are tied together to secure the shoe at the front ankle. A split is made in the front part of the shoe's entryway for the foot to slip in and out easily. These boots are very similar in shape to the leather boots worn by the female dancers in the Muyongchong. The presence of a seam on the parts of the instep and tarsal bone suggests that the shoes of the female dancers in the Koguryo Muyongchong mural painting were in the form of boots.

  These features are found in the Oroqen's boots, which are made of roe deer skin. The Hezhen also make shoes from fish scales in addition to animal skins. The boot-like shoes with tall shafts are called ‘Apura’ or ‘Wonta’ and are worn in winter. The rubber shoe-like shoes with short shafts are called ‘Urahye’. Dried grass called ‘Uracho’ is place in the shoes for warmth. The Hezhen wear fabric beoseon, which is decorated with various colored fabrics around its neck. The multicolored shoes and black beoseon exhibited at the Hezhen Museum are very similar to the shoes worn by the dancers in the Koguryo Muyongchong.

  The costumes of the Oroqen, especially those made of leather, can be used as valuable references for reproducing the structure, form, materials, and patterns of Koguryo costumes. It is believed that the leather-based costumes, tailored to the climatic environment, and the narrow-sleeved type costumes for protection against the cold, as well as the boot-type shoes using the moccasin-making techniques, would be useful for restoring Koguryo’s costumes in the future.