Dancheong: The Five Colors That Protect Korea's Palaces and Temples
Look up under the eaves of almost any Korean palace or Buddhist temple and the wood is not wood-colored. Every beam, bracket and rafter end is painted in bands of green and blue, red and ochre, outlined in white and black. That painting has a name, dancheong (단청), and it was never only decoration. Paint as protection Traditional Korean buildings are timber frames, and timber does not like rain, damp summers or freezing winters. Dancheong is made from mineral pigments mixed with animal glue and brushed over the wood, where it acts as a protective skin against moisture and decay and softens the effect of heat and cold. Some accounts add that it helps keep insects away. Painters renew it as it fades, which is why a freshly restored hall can look startlingly bright. Five colors, five directions The palette is built on obangsaek (오방색), the five directional colors: blue for the east, red for the south, white for the west, black for the north and yellow for the center. They come f...