VCM

Shaman´s Painting of Wei-t´o.
Schamanenbild des Wei-t´o.: 79.40-21

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Why this is a
Masterpiece

This painting is a very fine example of the Korean “folk painting” (minhwa) tradition. It shows a God who was taken over from the Chinese pantheon. He is a protector of books and scriptures. In Korean shamanism he is also venerated as a protector deity of Buddhism, one of the religions Korean shamans feel close to. The proud frontal position of the God and the conspicuous way he holds up his sword are a powerful demonstration of his protector qualities.

History of the Object: The painting once hung on a Korean shaman´s altar. When these paintings are replaced by new ones, often donations from clients, they are given away to young shamans, shaman´s temples, or are sold to interested parties.

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Type: Painting
Materials: Colours on textile tissue, silk, others.
Measurements: H ca 89 cm, W. ca. 54 cm
Creator name: unknown
Creator date: unknown
Where it was made: Korea; Seoul (probably)
Geography: Korea
Time period: AD 19th century ~ AD 19th century
Creation date: 19th Century
Function: Painting from a shaman´s altar
Acquisition: This painting was a present from Cho Hung-youn, now a Professor at Hanyang University, Seoul, when he worked in our museum as a graduate student in 1979. He gave it to us as part of a collection of Korean shamans´objects that he had acquired during his fieldwork.
Copyright: Saal/Museum für Völkerkunde Hamburg
Acknowledgements
Owner: Museum für Völkerkunde Hamburg
Museum: Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg
Credit line: Museum für Völkerkunde Hamburg, Inv.-Nr.: 79.40:21