The original artifact of the '2026 National Museum of Korea Costume Play' grand prize winner, <Carp-shaped White Porcelain Water Dropper>, to be on display for one month

The National Museum of Korea is revealing the Joseon Dynasty white porcelain artifact that inspired the grand prize-winning work of the '2026 National Museum of Korea Costume Play'. It is an opportunity to view the case where a participant reinterpreted the characteristics of the artifact through costume alongside the actual work.

The National Museum of Korea announced that it will display the original (Geonhui 2082), which was recreated by the '2026 National Museum of Korea Costume Play' grand prize winner Jeon Eun-seul, in the Buncheong and White Porcelain Room on the 3rd floor of the permanent exhibition hall until October 22.

The is an artifact that embodies the ancient tale of a carp swimming vigorously against the current to pass through the Dragon Gate and finally become a dragon. On the lower part of the water dropper, waves are drawn with blue pigment to express the appearance of the carp leaping out of the water.

Jeon Eun-seul focused on these waves and the movement of the carp to recreate the grand prize-winning costume work. By drawing blue waves on her right arm and using her body to express the appearance of a carp surging upward, she interpreted the morphological characteristics of the artifact in her own way.

In particular, she interpreted the work by connecting her situation of preparing for employment with the image of a carp vigorously swimming against the current. It draws attention as a case where the story contained in the actual artifact is combined with the participant's personal assignment of meaning.

Through this artifact display, visitors can examine the form and symbolism of the work by comparing the reinterpreted appearance through costume with the actual artifact side by side. The National Museum of Korea plans to use this as an opportunity to provide chances to encounter cultural heritage not only through traditional exhibition methods but also through participation and reinterpretation.

Yoo Hong-jun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, said, "Through this year's 2026 National Museum of Korea Costume Play, we were able to see the process where cultural heritage meets people's wit and imagination to be expressed in new ways. I hope people will personally examine the that served as the motif for the grand prize-winning work and compare the actual artifact with the reinterpreted appearance through costume."