General Guo Zi-yi’s Birthday Banquet

late 1700s

General Guo Zi-yi’s Birthday Banquet, late 1700s. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Six-panel folding screen; ink and color on silk; 207.6 x 295.3 cm (81 3/4 x 116 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Private Collection, Courtesy of Sebastian Izzard Asian Art, New York 12.2022 This colorful folding screen depicts the famous military general Guo Zi-yi (697–781) of the Chinese Tang dynasty (618–907) enjoying his birthday. He is known to have a long and successful military career as well as a blissful family life. Thus, his image surrounded by his numerous family members symbolizes the paragon of success and happiness.

Although General Guo was a Chinese historical figure, in this Korean painting he is portrayed wearing a quintessentially Korean royal hat made of black silk with vertical ridges, called wonyugwan (원유관). Across the lower section of the first two panels (starting from far right), a group of court ladies is portrayed playing with a cat, while a band of boys is shown carrying a large banner and one riding a toy horse, imitating a royal procession. Based on its history of ownership and painting style, this screen was most likely made in 18th-century Korean royal court.