郭汾陽行樂圖 Gwakbunyang hyangrakdo (Guo Ziyi‘s Enjoyment-of-Life Banquet Screen), unknown maker from Korea

In late Joseon Korea, screens depicting the lavish birthday banquet of Chinese general Guo Ziyi (697–781 CE) became extremely popular. While Guo Ziyi screens were commonly used for birthday celebrations in China, at the Joseon royal court they were used primarily in weddings. This screen was recently conserved in Korea through a grant from the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation.

In 2015, Spencer Museum Curator Kris Ercums uncovered this screen, which was hidden from view in a blocked storage cabinet for many years. An attached note identified the screen’s maker as “a Korean artist” and the subject as “festivities in honor of an ancestor with one thousand descendants.” Based on a description from an early exhibition inventory featuring works from Sallie Casey Thayer’s collection, Ercums determined the screen’s provenance, or record of ownership, and deepened his investigation.
Closely inspecting the scenes painted across eight panels, Ercums recognized the depiction of a popular rendering of the lavish banquet of Chinese general Guo Ziyi, known as Gwakbunyang in Korea. While in China it was common for images of the famous general to be used in birthday celebrations, at the Korean Joseon court they were used primarily in weddings. Recent conservation of this screen revealed that it was likely produced at the Joseon palace, perhaps for a wedding ceremony.

In late Joseon Korea, screens depicting the lavish banquet of Chinese general Guo Ziyi, known as Gwakbunyang in Korea, became extremely popular. Gwakbunyang not only faithfully served four Chinese emperors, but in retirement enjoyed the so-called “three abundant blessings” of wealth, longevity, and happiness. The portrayal of Guo Ziyi as an old man (longevity) seated in a lavish setting (wealth) and surrounded by numerous sons and frolicking grandchildren (happiness) embodied the Confucian virtues and
principles upon which Joseon Korean society was built.
In China it was common for images of Gwakbunyang to be used in birthday celebrations, and at the Joseon royal court they were used primarily in weddings. The earliest textual reference to Gwakbunyang screens appears in 1802 for the wedding of Queen Sunwon 순원 (1789–1857) and her marriage to King Sunjo 순조/純祖 (1790–1834). What is perhaps most interesting about
Gwakbunyang screens in Joseon royal weddings is that they were mainly displayed at the bridal palace, and therefore made primarily for female viewers. Recent conservation of this screen in Korea revealed that it was likely produced at the Joseon palace, perhaps for a wedding ceremony.