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Hodori

Olympic Mascot
1988 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The first Olympic mascot 'Waldi' a Daschund dog appeared at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Mascots are used to communicate the Olympic spirit to the general public, especially youth and children. They are usually a character or animal native to the country where the games are being held and showcase the history and culture unique to the host city. In more recent years it has been common to have more than one mascot. This could be to ensure gender equity but has undoubtedly increased the merchandising potential of the Olympic mascot.

The name Hodori is derived from Ho meaning tiger and Dori a word used for boys in Korean. The tiger is a familiar figure in Korean myths and legends and symbolises the vigourous and marching spirit of the Korean people. Hodori was designed to be a friendly mascot representing Korea. He wears a traditional Sangmo hat of a Korean farmband player. The hat's spiralling streamer also forms an 'S' denoting Seoul the host city.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Olympic Mascot
  • Model
TitleHodori (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Fabric and plastic
Brief description
Plush tiger and miniature Olympic stadium made in 1988 for the Seoul Olympics by Tae Sung
Physical description
A plush Amir tiger in orange and white with black stripes and black plastic eyes. He has an Olympic rings medal around his neck. He wears a round black plastic hat with a clear plastic ribbon in the shape of an 'S'. He has magnets on his feet which attach to a base of a miniature Olympic stadium. Original merchandising tag attached.
Dimensions
  • Height: 33cm
  • Depth: 17.5cm
Production typeMass produced
Subject depicted
Association
Summary
The first Olympic mascot 'Waldi' a Daschund dog appeared at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Mascots are used to communicate the Olympic spirit to the general public, especially youth and children. They are usually a character or animal native to the country where the games are being held and showcase the history and culture unique to the host city. In more recent years it has been common to have more than one mascot. This could be to ensure gender equity but has undoubtedly increased the merchandising potential of the Olympic mascot.

The name Hodori is derived from Ho meaning tiger and Dori a word used for boys in Korean. The tiger is a familiar figure in Korean myths and legends and symbolises the vigourous and marching spirit of the Korean people. Hodori was designed to be a friendly mascot representing Korea. He wears a traditional Sangmo hat of a Korean farmband player. The hat's spiralling streamer also forms an 'S' denoting Seoul the host city.
Collection
Accession number
B.158-2009

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Record createdJanuary 26, 2010
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