This paper aims to investigate the general characteristics of the eave and awning of the traditional architecture in Korea,
which seems to have been singularly neglected, for understandable reasons, in the architectural researches. For one thing, the eave
and awning has not even listed among the nomenclature of the more authentic elements of the traditional architecture. Author
examined a non-architectural source, the old literatures and paintings of the Koryo and Chosun era, and sought to find out how
the eave and awning was represented.
They provided vivid evidences of the long forgotten eave and awning. It show that the deeply extruded eave was regarded as
the symbol of high quality architecture, and that the bracket set and double eve was allowed exclusively for high classes. Under
the architectural regulation, the ordinary people developed temporary installed awning in extending eave with pine tree or straw
mat. The form and structure can be found in the genre paintings of Chosun dynasty. However this temporary type awning has
disappeared since 19th century, probably owing to the weakness of structure, the development of Toi, the abrogation of the
regulation, or the imported zinc roof. And it was replaced to the luxury type with tiled roof as shown in a few examples.