From Colonial Dilettantism to the Korean Wave: The Formation and Ever-changing Roles of Korean Art Collections in the United States

Abstract

This paper examines the history of Korean art collections in the United States by dividing it into four major periods and discussing key issues to each period. During the first period, from 1882 to 1910, foreigners who visited Joseon and the Korean Empire collected Korean artworks. In the second period, Japanese antique dealers primarily gathered artworks in colonial Korea and sold them to American institutions and individuals. The third period, under U.S. military government rule following World War II, during the Korean War, and subsequent U.S. military presence, was marked by American residents collecting Korean art. The fourth period involves professional collectors who acquired Korean artworks through dealers in the United States instead of traveling to Korea and collecting them in person. This history of Korean art collections raises issues related to nationality, ethnography, and colonial collecting practices. Additionally, certain types of artworks that have not been highly valued in Korea received significant attention and were actively collected within the United States. This paper proposes alternative exhibition methods for overseas cultural heritage and calls for a reevaluation of Korean art collections in the United States from a perspective that moves beyond an ethnographic gaze. © 2024 The Academy of Korean Studies. All rights reserved.