Girl's birthday dress (hanbok)

This skirt and jacket represent a little girl's outfit (hanbok) typically worn on special occasions such as birthdays and New Year's Day. The lined skirt is made of burgundy-colored silk with yellow piping. The lower part of the skirt is decorated with a band of pressed gold-sheet motifs-two facing phoenixes surrounded by clouds. The jacket has a yellow bodice and sleeves made of multicolored strips (seakdong) symbolizing happiness. The hat (gulle) is made of black silk with a large floral medallion in the center surrounded by a stylized band of longevity (su) characters in pressed gold sheet. The hat is further ornamented with a knotted tassel (maedeop), which has a long tradition as an art form made by and for Korean women.