National Folk Museum assembles hundreds of traditional dolls for kokdu exhibition

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Almost five decades ago, Kim Ock-rang was in her 20s, visiting an antique shop near Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul when she noticed a dusty wooden doll in the corner.

It was like fate. She instinctively knew she had to “save” the doll and give it a new life. Her determination became stronger when even the shop owner was unaware of what the doll’s purpose was.

From then on, Kim started collecting these dolls by traveling to vintage shops all over the country. She has since collected around 20,000 of these kokdu and founded a museum for them, dedicated to researching their history.

She donated some 1,100 pieces to the National Folk Museum of Korea last year and 250 of them are now on view at the museum’s latest exhibition, “Parade.”

Kokdu have been around for centuries, with records tracing as far back as the 15th century. Although they’ve practically disappeared in the modern age, these portable dolls were originally used as colorful ornaments for sangyeo, or funeral biers. The main purpose was for them to be friends that would accompany the deceased in their journey to the afterlife.

The roles of the dolls were largely categorized as entertainers, depicted to play instruments or perform like clowns; caregivers, to greet and look after the deceased; or guardians, to protect the deceased from danger.

The kokdu presented at the “Parade” exhibition are mostly from the 20th century.  

They are shaped like humans or animals, but were intended to be neither, mostly perceived as “otherworldly figures.” Neatly arranged in glass casings, the exhibition shows that they can take the form of dragons, birds, warrior horseback riders, musicians playing instruments or an affectionate couple.

Although the Korean title for the exhibition is straightforwardly “Kokdu,” the curators decided on “Parade” for the English title because they wanted to highlight the dolls in a positive, celebratory light.

“Anything symbolizing death, particularly the sangyeo, was traditionally thought to be linked to misfortune, but the funeral ceremony itself was upbeat like a parade, especially in the Joseon Dynasty [1392-1910],” said Lee Kun-wook, chief curator at the museum.

The National Folk Museum of Korea has been holding special exhibitions on donated works every year. In 2022, it held a show on Korean Uzbek photographer Viktor An’s records of Koryoin, or ethnic Koreans in Central Asia or Russia, and in 2023, one was held on traditional decorative knots, or maedeup, by craftsperson Lee Bu-ja.

The maedeup exhibition traveled to Australia and the Philippines this year, and “Parade” is set to embark on an international tour soon as well.

While kokdu are relatively unfamiliar artifacts even to Korea’s current generation, the museum’s director Jang Sang-hoon is confident that the exhibition will appeal well to tourists and foreigners.

“The charm of kokdu is that they are universally appealing,” he said. “They’ve been genuinely crafted to exhibit human emotions that anyone can easily feel a connection to.”

“Parade” continues until March 3 next year. The National Folk Museum of Korea is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Hours extend to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. The exhibition is free.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]