Funerary Figure of an Equestrian
Asian Art
On View: Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor
MEDIUM
Wood, polychrome
DATES
late 19th century
DYNASTY
Joseon dynasty
DIMENSIONS
component (Wooden Tang): 3 3/8 x 1/2 x 1 5/8 in. (8.6 x 1.3 x 4.1 cm)
overall: 22 1/4 x 4 x 9 in (56.5 x 10.2 x 22.9 cm)
(old): mount (m1-2021.17.7): 23 × 14 × 9 in. (58.4 × 35.6 × 22.9 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Asian Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
2021.17.7
CREDIT LINE
Gift of the Carroll Family Collection
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Carved wood figure of a man on horseback atop a stylized lotus flower. The man is dressed in Western attire, with bowler hat, blazer, and buttoned shirt. The piece is painted in bright colors.
The figure is a kokdu, or bier sculpture, one of many surrounding the coffin of the deaceased on the bier or cart (sangyo) used to transport the deceased to their graves. Often brightly colored and whimsical, these figures served as the entourage and protectors of the deceased during the funerary procession. Among the many standard types of figures included was the Guardian, initially a fierce warrior, who transformed over time into a police officer and then into the Western-dressed man seen here. The practice of decorating the bier with figures appears to have been popular in the late Joseon period and possibly into the period of the Japanese occupation.
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is on view in Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor
CAPTION
Funerary Figure of an Equestrian, late 19th century. Wood, polychrome, component (Wooden Tang): 3 3/8 x 1/2 x 1 5/8 in. (8.6 x 1.3 x 4.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Carroll Family Collection, 2021.17.7 (Photo: Image courtesy of The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Professor Roberta L. Carroll, M.D., CUR.TL2020.25.11.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, CUR.TL2020.25.11.jpg. Image courtesy of The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Professor Roberta L. Carroll, M.D., 2020
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
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