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[Eye Plus] Special museum dedicated to craft artworks from past, present

By Song Seung-hyun

Published : Feb. 12, 2022 - 16:01

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Photo by Park Hyun-koo Photo by Park Hyun-koo
The Seoul Museum of Craft Art located in Jongno-gu, central Seoul is a special space where people can enjoy all kinds of crafts from the past to the present.

Opened last year, the Seoul Museum of Craft Art has more than 23, 257 craft artworks and related data.
 
Photo by Park Hyun-koo Photo by Park Hyun-koo
The new museum is built on the former Poongmoon Girls‘ High School site. This location is special because it is where the house of King Sejong’s son Prince Yeongeung was located and the place where King Sejong died.

During King Gojong’s reign, the Andong Secondary Palace was built here. The palace was mainly used for his son emperor Sunjong’s wedding. 
Photo by Park Hyun-koo Photo by Park Hyun-koo
Five former high school buildings have been remodeled into galleries. A museum Information Building and a hanok-style Craft Annex were newly built.

The Craft Annex, which is located behind Exhibition Building 2, is used for workshops and talks.

The Information Building, where the museum cafe and shop are located, is hard to miss with its glass walls.
Photo by Park Hyun-koo Photo by Park Hyun-koo
Both special and permanent exhibitions are being held in Exhibition Building 1. In the permanent exhibition hall on the second floor, artworks of artisans from the Joseon era, Korean Empire and Korea’s colonial period are displayed. A library is located in this building as well.

In Exhibition Building 2, a special exhibition about Seoul’s traditional crafts is underway. On the second floor is a permanent exhibition about the history of craft.
Photo by Park Hyun-koo Photo by Park Hyun-koo
Embroidery and bojagi (traditional Korean wrapping cloths) are displayed in Exhibition Building 3, along with donors’ collections.

The Education Building is home to children‘s museums on the second and third floors.

Photos by Park Hyun-koo
Written by Song Seung-hyun