'Gama': a comprehensive art (2024)

Clockwise from top left are a litter from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) which housed ancestral tablets. / Korea Times photos by Choi Won-suk

By Chung Ah-young

PAJU, Gyeonggi Province — On a sultry summer day in 2005, Lee Kang-yeon, a "gama" (traditional litter) artisan, was asked to repair a bier for the funeral of Yi Ku, the son of the last crown prince of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), four days before the funeral was to take place on July 24.

When he rushed to the storehouse of Changdeok Palace, he found that the bier which had been used for the Joseon Kingdom was almost dismantled.

"I had only four days until the funeral to restore the bier. The bier was broken here and there and didn't seem functional at all. Looking back now, it was unbelievable work. There were no guidelines for how to restore it," Lee said in an interview with The Korea Times.

Lee Kang-yeon, a "gama" (traditional litter) artisan, in his workshop in Paju, Gyeonggi Province;

Although Lee has made traditional palanquins and other wooden carriers, including biers, he considered restoring the historical bier for the funeral a daunting task.

He recalled that there were no expert and historical references for how to repair biers. He asked other traditional artisans who make biers to help restore it, but they all said "No," citing the lack of references and time.

With no other options, Lee stayed up for almost four nights to repair the bier. "I was so sad and surprised because the nation was not ready for the last heir's funeral at all. Such an important event was placed in my hands," he said.

Fortunately, he finished repairing the bier with the help of a handful of scholars.

The carving process

"I couldn't even remember how it was done because it was so hectic. It was a great honor for me to restore the royal bier. The event shows how important it is to preserve tradition," he said.

Since he was a child, Lee has been interested in Korean wooden sculptures for their beautiful traditional decorative patterns.

Born and raised in Imsil, North Jeolla Province in 1952, he moved to Seoul at 19 to find work. After reproducing and repairing Korean traditional furniture for a couple of decades, he finally established Taegosa, a traditional wooden furniture workshop, in 1983.

In more than 40 years, Lee has restored numerous historical litters and vehicles. He began specializing in traditional palanquins among other wooden craftwork in 1988 when his reproductions of some 20 palanquins from the Three Kingdoms (57 BC to AD 668) were presented at the sh*tennoji Wasso Festival in Osaka, Japan. The festival highlights cultural exchanges between Japan and its Asian neighbors and features a variety of traditional Korean events such as parades, performances and exhibitions.

A frame of a traditional palanquin.

"Few historical resources about the litters from the Three Kingdoms were available, so I had to look into the murals and other artifacts that portray the palanquins of the time," he said.

Lee's gama have also been used in various traditional rituals such as at the Danjong Culture Festival in Gangwon Province and the Royal Parade.

He said the rituals are historical records that are not handed down through documents. "We have documents that only describe traditional techniques in words and in rules of thumb, not in pictures or structural drawings, so it is hard to reproduce (the palanquins) with only these documents," he said.

"Dancheong" or traditional paintwork on gama.

For that reason, the artisan tries to reproduce as many palanquins and other craftwork as possible to leave them as historical resources for the next generation.

"There are many artisans who engage in traditional woodworking, but what I am doing is focusing on gama to help ordinary people better understand it," he said.

Lee said it was natural for him to preserve traditional values, as he grew up in a remote village where some of the Jeonju Lee clan lived.

"Maybe growing up in the village where my clan lived encouraged me to have more interest in tradition, although it (tradition) doesn't exist anymore," he said.

Comprehensive art

In ancient Korea, royal families and aristocrats usually used gama. There were various types according to usage, such as "sangyeo" or biers, "chaeyeon" or carriers that transport articles, "yeongyeo" or vehicles for ancestral tablets, and palanquins for royal families.

The most common type is the wedding gama, which is used to carry the bride and groom separately to the ceremony. This gama is still used in traditional wedding ceremonies today.

Because of the mountainous terrains and lack of paved roads in ancient Korea, gama were preferred over wheeled vehicles. People used gama on three occasions — a wedding ceremony, a celebration for passing the civil service examination to become a government official and a funeral.

"Gama encompass big events in our lifetime. If we look closely at the gama, we can find many meanings," he said.

Lee said the traditional patterns that decorate gama hold various meanings according to the occasion.

"The traditional patterns are all symbols that hold significant meanings for riders. For example, the king's litter is adorned with dragons. The number of the dragon's claws has meaning — seven claws indicate the emperor, five the king and three the crown prince," he said.

The bridal palanquins are decorated with the pattern of "dangcho" or an oriental imaginary flower that symbolizes permanence.

Lee explained that constructing gama is a comprehensive art form encompassing Korean traditional architecture and crafts, such as "dancheong" or traditional paintwork; woodworking; textile crafts, such as knots; and metal crafts.

"Completing gama needs the collaboration of various artisans. It is a long, complicated process. Although I lead the construction of gama, I need other people to complete the other parts, in many cases," he said.

The artisan said many traditional carpenters can make the basic frames for gama, but most of them don't know gama's history in detail.

"There are less accurate historical resources about gama, so my duty is to accumulate historical documents and traditional skills for restoring them," he said.

In 2002, he reproduced "Gagyo," a royal palanquin used by Queen Hyegyeonggung Hong, King Jeongjo's mother, of the Joseon Kingdom. King Jeongjo ordered court artisans to construct the palanquin for his mother, who was then carried from Hanyang, the old Seoul, to Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, where his father, Crown Prince Sado, was buried. Some 120 artisans from 29 different industries took part in making it, according to the "Uigwe" or royal protocols.

"Gagyo retains the essence of gama in terms of patterns, skills and designs," Lee said.

Gama can be seen in cultural festivals in provincial areas, and sometimes, they are ordered by clans for their ancestral rituals.

"In the past, few people recognized my job. They wondered why I focused on gama. But now, a growing number of people are acknowledging my job. Now, I am very happy with making gama," he said.

Who is Lee Kang-yeon?

Lee was born in 1952 in Imsil, North Jeolla Province. He moved to Seoul when he was 19 to find work. As he grew up with an interest in traditional woodworking from his father, he has worked in making and repairing traditional furniture. He began specializing in gama in 1988 when his gama was presented at the sh*tennoji Wasso Festival in Osaka, Japan. His traditional palanquins were highly acknowledged by the festival goers.

Since then, he has either restored or reproduced traditional gama based on historical resources, such as the royal bier for the funeral of Yi Ku, the last heir to the throne of the Joseon Kingdom, in 2005. He also reproduced gagyo or a royal palanquin dedicated to Queen Hyegyeonggung Hong, King Jeongjo's mother, in 2002.

He was designated as a Korea Traditional Skills Transmitter by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Human Resources Development Service of Korea in 2012.

What is ‘gama'?

Gama refers to traditional vehicles carried by porters, including biers and palanquins.

In ancient Korea, royal families and aristocrats used wooden litters. There are various types of gama, including "sangyeo" or biers, "chaeyeon" or carriers that transport articles, "yeongyeo" or a vehicle for housing ancestral tablets, and palanquins for royal families. The most common type of gama is used at traditional weddings to carry the bride and groom separately to the ceremony.

Because of the mountainous terrains and lack of paved roads in Korea in ancient times, gama were preferred over wheeled vehicles.