• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.6-21
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• 2022

This paper examines the material culture of the Goryeo-Joseon Period through changes in the design and crafting of the earpick. In Chapter 2, terminology regarding earpicks is presented, and the culture of using earpicks is examined through fragmentary literature of the late Joseon Dynasty. Earpicks were first a personal hygiene tool, and, secondly, they played a symbolic role as a style accessory used by men, analogous to the fan carried by women of the time. In Chapter 3, earpick form are classified by period, and characteristic decorative techniques for each form are examined. During the Goryeo Dynasty, earpicks were sanitary tools, and, according to their form, they were classified into single and complex types. From Unified Silla to Goryeo, there is an angled type of connecting rod, and in the Goryeo period, there appeared earpicks with colorful decorations on the handle, completely forged earpicks with a thin and long shape, and earpicks which were part of multitools. Common decorative techniques include line expression, gold plating, cheophomun on the background, and inlay. Earpicks of the Joseon Dynasty are classified into sanitary tools or ornaments, according to their purpose of use. Sanitary tools are divided into single type and complex type, and earpicks used as ornaments include headdress, norigae, and sunchu. For earpick accessories, headdresses and norigae were used for women, and sunchu was used for men. The decorative techniques of earpicks during the Joseon Dynasty were mainly seen in the headdress earpicks. They were decorated with various colors in the Cloisonné method or bejeweled. Research on everyday tools among crafts is lacking; greater attempts to read the flow of time and approaches to material culture through everyday tools should be made.

• The Monthly Diabetes
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• s.212
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• pp.30-31
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• 2007

대학원생 김모씨(28세 여)는 귀에 갑작스런 통증을 느끼기 시작했다. 또 급격하게 저하된 청력으로 친구들의 말귀를 잘 못 알아들어 '사오정'이라는 별명도 얻게 되었다. 통증이 심해 병원을 찾아간 결과 외상성 고막천공이라는 진단을 받게 되었다. 이는 귀이개가 고막을 관통해 발생한 질병으로 귀이개로 귀를 후비던 중 실수고 너무 깊이 파 통증이 나타나게 된 것이다. 다행이 다른 부위는 손상이 없어 외래에서 간단한 수술 및 통원치료 후 증상은 좋아졌다. 또 직장인 박모씨(34세 남)는 어느 날부터 갑자기 귀에서 고름이 나오고, 고약한 냄새를 풍겨 병원을 찾았는데, 만성 외이도염이라는 진단을 받았다. 원인은 하루가 멀다 하고 귀지를 파내는 오래된 습관 때문이라는 것이다. 습관을 바꾸지 않으면 앞으로 청력도 떨어질 수 있다는 의사의 말에 귀이개부터 멀리하기 시작했다. 고려대 안산병원 이비인후과 조승현 교수는 "종종 속을 썩이는 것이 귀지"라며 "무리하게 후비다가는 고막까지 버릴 수 있으므로 함부로 파서는 안된다"고 지적한다.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.4-23
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to classify the types of tweezers used across time and to examine the social culture of periods through the use of tweezers. Chapter II summarized the terms for tweezers and looked at the use of tweezers in two cases related to the social culture and politics of a period. The first is the use of tweezers for beauty purposes. Men used tweezers as a kind of self-management to maintain their social status and power, and thus they helped develop a wide range of tweezers cultures. People with gray hair are usually old. The perception that we should step down from politics when we are aged has become strong. Therefore, politicians pulled out gray hairs with tweezers to maintain only black hair and show youth, which indicates that their social influence is still strong. The second is the use of tweezers for first aid. Chapter III classified tweezers by type during the Goryeo and Joseon periods. The tweezers are largely divided into basic and composite types. The basic type of tweezers is a form that has been continued since the Three Kingdoms Period and consists of tongs and handles, and a fixed type of tweezers with a fixed ring appeared. Composite tweezers are made by grafting earpick or multipurpose knives. Composite tweezers are all-in-one tweezers with an earpick and an all-in-one knife. Tweezers are usually all-in-one. Among the composite tweezers, rivet separation and ring separation are characterized by separation, unlike the all-in-one tweezers. The method of connecting is divided into rivets and connection rings. The all-in-one tweezers appear only during the Goryeo Dynasty and are characterized by the lifestyle that provides a glimpse of the tastes of contemporary users. The manufacturing takes shape after making a thin metal plate. Decorative techniques are carved on soft metal tweezers, such as silver and bronze with a line, point, and a pressed angle. These tweezers are presumed to have been used by the royal family or aristocrats. However, most tweezers are made of strong bronze or iron. Therefore, the majority of simple X-shaped patterns are sampled or without patterns. The biggest reason why there are such diverse types of tweezers is that the culture of tweezers was widespread regardless of the times. In addition, the basic type of tweezers has been used since the Three Kingdoms Period and has been modified and used together as necessary because the shape of tweezers is a practical daily tool. Study of metal crafts have been limited to royal objects and Buddhist crafts. We hope that research on everyday tools such as tweezers will continue to serve as an opportunity to examine the social and cultural aspects of the times in various ways.