Art of the Korean Renaissance, 1400-1600 /

This is the catalogue of the spring 2009 Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition of 40-plus objects from the important first part of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), formerly called the Yi. In itself the small number of pieces reflects a characteristic of the art of this time--the "relative paucity of extant works from this period." Nevertheless, the first 200 years of this dynasty, straddled by the end of Mongol domination in China and the late-16th-century invasions by the Japanese, was both a renaissance and a time of creation of new forms in art and society at large. Three essays treat both aspects and are illustrated with objects from the catalogue and other sources: "Creating a Society of Civil Culture--The Early Joseon, 1392-1592" by JaHyun Kim Haboush (Columbia Univ.); "Art and Patronage in the Early Joseon" by Soyoung Lee (Metropolitan Museum of Art); and "Peace under Heaven--Confucianism and Painting in Early Joseon Korea" by Sunpyo Hong (Ewha Woman's Univ., Seoul) and Chin-Sung Chang (Seoul National Univ.). Lee also writes descriptive entries in an illustrated checklist. Included are a map of East Asia, time line, annotated bibliography, and guide to Korean transliterations. This is a fine introduction to the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's longest. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. D. K. Haworth emeritus, Carleton College