Abbot Hyegak's dancheong patterns

The term dancheong (dan means red; cheong means blue) originally had a broad meaning, referring to all paintings executed in brilliant colors. During the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), only court buildings and temples could have dancheong. Decorating structures in brilliant colors signaled the importance of the buildings and the power and prestige of their occupants. Since the twentieth century the term has had a narrower meaning and is used to designate the vibrant decorative style—with floral, figural, and geometric designs and patterns—applied to buildings such as Buddhist temples, ancestral shrines, and city gates.

The monk-painter Dongwon studied under the late Abbot Hyegak, who was nationally recognized for his contribution to the preservation of the dancheong painting tradition in Korea. As a tribute to his master, Dongwon, with the help of two other monk painters, compiled and painted 124 patterns that Hyegak had used during his lifetime. It took the three monkpainters seven months to complete these works. This twelve-panel folding screen is literally the dancheong pattern manual of the renowned Buddhist abbot. The Sanskrit writings on the sixth and seventh panels from the right refer to the two most popular Buddhist sutras in Korea, the Lotus Sutra and the Flower Garland Sutra.