Reading Art Sizes — Ho (號) vs Centimeters

You'll encounter two size notations on Korean art listings. One is cm, the other is ho (號). The same work may be labeled "45.5×37.9 cm" or "F8" or "8 ho." Both point to the same dimensions — but ho is a pricing-and-size unit system that the Korean and Japanese art markets imported from France a century ago.

This guide answers what 10 ho is in centimeters, and why the same 10 ho splits into three aspect ratios — F, P, and M.

Why Ho Exists

In 19th-century French oil-painting markets, canvases came pre-made in standard sizes. Korea and Japan adopted the standard and attached the character 號 (ho, "number"). So ho is not a traditional Korean unit — it's an imported standard. In international exhibition and sales contexts, cm is gaining ground, but within the Korean art market, ho is still a pricing unit.

When you hear "price per ho," that's the background. As in: "if a 20-ho painting is ₩4M, that's ₩200K per ho."

From 1 Ho to 100 Ho — F Reference Table

The most common F type, approximate cm conversion.

Ho	Size (F, cm)	Physical sense
1 ho	22.7 × 15.8	Two postcards
3 ho	27.3 × 22	Slightly larger than A4
6 ho	40.9 × 31.8	Laptop screen
10 ho	53 × 45.5	Small canvas, wall accent
15 ho	65 × 53	Good beside a sofa
20 ho	72.7 × 60.6	Living-room centerpiece start
30 ho	90.9 × 72.7	Small TV screen
50 ho	116.8 × 91	Large painting territory
80 ho	145.5 × 112.1	Whole-wall view
100 ho	162.2 × 130.3	Exhibition-scale

Not mm-precise (artists and manufacturers differ slightly), but enough to orient you when buying.

F · P · M — Three Ratios at the Same Size

The same "10 ho" splits three ways.

• F (Figure) — the most common. Originally for portraits. Near-square, often slightly taller than wide.
• P (Paysage / landscape) — wider than F, shorter in height.
• M (Marine) — for seascapes. Wider still — closer to panoramic.

At 10 ho: F is 53×45.5 cm; P is 53×40.9 cm; M is 53×33.3 cm. Same number, different impression.

In practice, the F/P/M distinction is loosely enforced today; "ho" alone is usually quoted as F. If only "10 ho" is listed, reading it as F type is safe.

Sense of Size in Physical Space

Comparisons beat numbers.

• A4 paper: about 3 ho
• 13-inch laptop screen: about 6 ho
• 50-inch living-room TV: about 30–40 ho
• 3-seater sofa backrest (~180 cm): wider than 80 ho horizontal

For sizing a piece to a wall, measure wall width first and aim for a work that covers 60–75%. Detail in Choosing Art by Room.

SAF Works as Ho Examples

Cross-referencing actual SAF works to ho:

• An Eungyeong, A Moment of Pause — 16×22 cm (under 0 ho, mini postcard-scale)
• Sim Moby, 9505 SIM_Memory — 45.5×37.9 cm (about 8 ho F)
• Kang Seoktae, The Happy Fox at 4 O'Clock — 40.9×31.8 cm (exactly 6 ho F)
• Min Jeonggi, Harvest — 57×41.5 cm (about 10 ho P)
• Lee Cheolsu, Sacred — 96×64 cm (about 30 ho P)

Practical Value of Ho

Two practical uses when choosing work:

1. Calibrate pricing. Knowing an artist's per-ho price lets you estimate prices at other sizes.
2. Calibrate space. Ho is more intuitive as a scale vocabulary than the cm you see on screen — "about 30 ho for our living room."

What's Left Behind the Numbers

The size of a work is ultimately a number, but that number finally connects to one person's wall.

More important than memorizing ho is the sensation of the moment your space meets that work. The numbers are tools to get closer to that sensation.

Related reading

If this piece helped, you may also enjoy these related articles:

• Oil, Acrylic, or Print?: How to Choose Artwork by Medium — When buying art for the first time, the most confusing question is often 'what is this actually made of?' Understanding the medium changes everything. This guide breaks down all 11 categories in SAF 2026 — from oil and acrylic to printmaking and photography — and helps you find what fits your taste.
• Painting, Print, Photography, Sculpture — A Buyer’s Guide to Each Medium — Why does a painting cost ₩3M, a print ₩300K, a photograph ₩800K, and a sculpture ₩5M? Each medium has its own pricing logic. A complete buyer’s guide to all four.
• Five Numbers That Map the Financial Reality of Korean Artists — 84.9%, 48.6%, ₩35M, 95%, 5.7% — five numbers that map Korean artists'' financial reality onto a single page.