The Significance of the Chromatic Value of the Color White

Snowman: A Symbol of Self-Realization and Unity of Opposites

“…The baekseolgi (steamed white rice cake), which is placed on the table when a baby healthily greeted its 100th day or 1st birthday after he/she was born, is white and this was said to wish the baby good health and longevity with a pellucid clean and sacred food. Park & Na (2010) found that the use of white in Korea has been popular since the Three Kingdoms period, which was long before the Joseon Dynasty period, and when 'Wei Zhi(魏 志)' and 'Dongyi Chuán (東夷傳)', which are ancient Chinese literature, are examined, it can be seen that the Korean people wore white clothes as their everyday clothes, and were called the 'white-clad race.' According to a study conducted by Na (2008), the reason why our ancestors used white the most frequently in their non-official circles despite that white was constantly banned for being contrary to the theory of the five elements was that white was a sacred color that meant brightness and the images of scholars were projected to white because white was the image of scholars who were practicing while cultivating themselves.…”

“…As an example, the lotus flower overcomes the dirtiness in the mud and blooms as a white flower, and the lotus flower as such was said to appear as a symbol of the resurrection in Egypt, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Park & Na (2010) viewed that white plays a role like that of a neutralizing agent. White makes the overall mood of the colors used together with white look brighter, or influences the impression of the entire colors depending on the position where it is used.…”