‘Chinjamrye’(親蠶禮) and ‘Chingyeongrye’(親耕禮) are agriculture-related royal ceremonies that had originated in ancient China. In ‘Chingyeongrye’, the King did the farming in the royal field in person; while the Queen did the silk-farming in the palace in person in ‘Chinjamrye’. By doing ‘Chinjamrye’, the Queen encourages farmers to be more industrious in silk-farming so that they can make more clothes; which would be the foundation of richness and strength of the state. The royal ceremony ‘Chinjamrye’ was led by the Queen; which is rather exceptional because very little things were led by females in a strictly Confucian Joseon society.
‘Chinjam-euigwe’(親蠶儀軌) is a publication that recorded the procedure of ‘Chinjamrye’ ceremony that was held in the year 1767, the 43rd year of King Yeongjo. According to this publication, ‘Chinjamrye’ consists of ‘Jakheonrye’, ‘Chaesangrye’, ‘Jinharye’, ‘Johyeonrye’ and ‘Soogyeonrye’. ‘Jakheonrye’ was a ritual dedicated to the ‘god of silk-farming’ and ‘Chaesangrye’ was picking mulberry leaves from mulberry field. ‘Jinharye’ was receiving greetings from the eldest grandson of the King and senior government officials; while ‘Johyeonrye’ was receiving greetings from the King’s concubine and the wife of eldest grandson of the King. ‘Soogyeonrye’ was the silk cocoon receiving ceremony. Everybody wore different clothes during these five different ceremony-procedures.
Different from previous incidents, during the ‘Chinjamrye’ held in the 43rd year of King Yeongjo, the King participated in the partial ceremony led by the Queen in person. Therefore, it is possible to learn about the formal ceremonial wears of the King, the eldest grandson of the King and senior government officials. The king and the eldest grandson of the King wore the ‘Ikseon-gwan’, a red silk hat worn by the King, the ‘Gonryongpo’, King’s wearing with dragon pattern; or, the ‘Wonyoo-gwan’, a black silk crown worn by the King and the ‘Gangsapo’, a red formal wear of the King, dependent on the ceremony procedure. The Queen, King’s concubine and the wife of the eldest grandson of the King wore the Jeokeui, red silk clothes decorated with blue pheasant; while they wore double-layered robes during the Chaesangrye as work-wear. Senior government officials wore the ‘Jobok’, the formal official’s uniform, and the ‘Heukdanryeong’, a black round-neck robe. Ladies living in royal palace and the wives of government officials wore the ‘Wonsam’, the ladies’ robe. During the ‘Chaesangrye’, they all changed to casual wear for working convenience.
This study would like to suggest that the ‘Chinjamrye’ to be performed as a periodical representation event. It would contribute in the preservation of traditional culture by representing the royal culture and royal wears in the late Joseon dynasty.