[ MAUKA MAKAI ]
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Decked out in Korean clothing, Lanakila Baptist students Travis Takamuya and Anna-Kaelle Ramos relax in the sarangbang, or receiving room.
Experiencing The way many American companies treat older workers is a reflection of our society's attitudes about aging. Those with wisdom are often shunted aside for new and younger, cost-efficient models.
Korean culture
"Grandfather’s House" opens
Center celebrates Koreans’ isle life
a window to a past lifestyle
Museum's 'Tiger' exhibit lacks claws
By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.comIt's quite the opposite of the way elders are treated in Asia, where filial piety is rooted in the teachings of Confucius, dating to the 14th century. Confucianism emphasizes social and natural order, social obligation, harmony and respect for family and age. In Korea, grandparents fulfill an honored family role, assisting with their grandchildren's education.
Local children now can learn the ways of ancient Korea through the "Grandfather's House" exhibit on view at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, continuing to the end of the year in honor of the Korean Centennial.
"Grandfather's House" is the first major exhibition in the United States to present Korean culture as a lively, interactive experience, said Karen Thompson, the museum's curator of education. "The house is very authentic, and many of the components are from Korea."
The 1,400-square-foot display is intended to show people how the house was set up during the late Choson period (1392-1910). Homes at the time were single-story dwellings made of wood, stone, clay or mud plaster. Homes of the elite had tile roofs, and the interior of the academy home reflects the comfortable life of a grandfather who "may very likely be a retired government official," said Thompson.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The anbang, or woman's room, is also a place where young children sleep.
Once inside the house, visitors can explore rooms including a kitchen, men's quarters (sarangbang) and women's quarters (anbang). The conservatism of the period fostered a strict separation of roles and activities for men and women. The sarangbang served as a gathering place for men. It would be a place of study with objects and furnishings -- such as a low, portable desk with a calligraphy box, shelves and chests for holding books and scrolls -- that reflect the lifestyle of a Korean gentleman.
According to Thompson, children normally stayed in the women's quarters with their mothers. Boys could move to rooms associated with the sarangbang at the age of 6 or 7. Girls stayed in areas close to the kitchen so they could learn practical skills of cooking, ironing, embroidering and mending clothes.
The maru was the symbolic center of the household and often served as a storage place for rice chests or other grain containers. Crocks may have been used to store pickled cabbage, soybean paste, sesame oil, red pepper paste or other seasonings that give Korean food its trademark flavor.
The fully equipped mock kitchen at Grandfather's House is complete with an oversize rice cooker, bowls of garlic, baskets filled with eggs, bowls, chopsticks and spoons. Children who visit can try their hands putting peas or beans through an old-fashioned grinder.
FUJIO KANEKO, the museum's installation expert, designed the exhibit after traveling to Korea to research traditional houses. Korean winters are cold and wet, so families ate their meals, entertained guests and slept directly on brick floors possessing an ondol, or central heating system. Ondol consists of bricks built with a network of ducts and flues leading from the kitchen hearth. During the warm seasons, flues could be closed.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
There's no problem with Brittney Flaguera, above, touching the traditional Korean footwear in Grandfather's House -- the exhibit is intended to be interactive.
After visiting the "Grandfather's House" display at the Seattle Asian Art Museum (its location since 1999), Kaneko felt that the cold floor did no justice to the explanation of the heating system. Since a fireplace was not an option, he found an alternative. "He used heating pads under the floor to create the same effect. We also ordered authentic oil paper from Korea," explained Thompson.
Heavy walls are not found in the structure since rooms in actual homes could be altered to serve different purposes. For example, sitting rooms doubled as sleeping quarters at night, with mats brought out, said Thompson. Cushions and mats, made from silk and plant fibers, provide comfortable floor seating.
The house would not be complete if it were missing the traditional pair of "wedding ducks." A traditional wedding gift, they can be found in almost every home in Korea. "Ducks mate for life and are a symbol for marital fidelity," said Thompson.
GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE is completely interactive, so parents don't have to worry if children want to touch objects.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The maru was the symbolic center of the household and often served as a storage place.
Once keikis are done exploring, they can participate in a variety of activities. "We are really emphasizing calligraphy," said Thompson. Practice boards are set up to allow children to leave their marks. Kids can also make paper fans and tigers to take home.
Costumes are also available in adult and children's sizes for photo opportunities. "There are more hats and headdresses than you can imagine," Thompson said, "and each hat has a different meaning."
Delicately designed dresses, decorated thimbles and embroidered decorations also adorn the walls. "The girls practiced embroidery as an art form and prided themselves on the results," said Thompson.
It isn't just children who enjoy the home, Thompson said. "A Korean woman visited and was thrilled with the reproduction, especially since she had her own traditional house in Korea. We are finding that the adults really appreciate the house."
Where: Honolulu Academy of Arts, 900 S. Beretania St. 'Grandfather's House:
A Children's Exhibition on Korea'When: On view 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 31
Admission: $7 adults, $4 students 13 and over, free for children under 12. Complimentary admission offered the first Sunday of each month.
Call: 532-8700
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