Child's clothing set

These two sets of children’s clothing (2018.16.1.1-.7 and 2018.16.2.1-.6) were worn by American twins who were born in Pyongyang, Korea. Glenn and Elmer Noble (1909–2001) were the sixth and seventh children of William Arthur Noble (1866–1945) and his wife, Mattie Wilcox Noble (1872–1956). The Nobles were revered in Korea not only for their missionary work but also for their devoted efforts to modernize Korea by introducing Western technology and education during the early years of the twentieth century. These outfits, with pockets in the vests and narrowed sleeves, show how traditional Korean clothing changed during the early twentieth century with the influence of Western menswear. The jackets have saekdong (multicolored) sleeves that are common for children’s ceremonial clothing. The sets are winter clothing, with cotton padding in the tops and trousers, as well as fur lining in the hats.