Photo By Gail

An important element of traditional Korean funerals was the procession to the burial site, during which the body was transported in an elaborately decorated cart or litter, know in English as a bier.

Carved and painted wooden figurines populated the sides of the bier, serving  as an entourage and as protectors for the deceased. Over time, the depictions or armored military guards found on biers were replaced by images of police officers, sometimes wearing European costumes, as see her on this example from the Joseon dynasty, late 19th – 20th century.

Photographed in The Brooklyn Museum