Doeunseonsaengsijip Gwon1~2

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2027

Category

Books & Records

Era

1407년(조선 태종 7)

Designated year

2019

Location

중구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 중구

Coordinates

No precise coordinates are available, so this item is not shown as a map marker. To be added later.

Doeun seonsaeng sijip Volumes 1-2 are part of a five-volume edition of literary works by Yi Sungin (pen-name: Doeun/1347-1392), one of the representative men of letters of the Goryeo Period, printed with movable metal types. As Yi’s loyalty to the Goryeo Dynasty was exceptionally strong, like that of two other well-known people, Yi Saek (pen-name: Mogeun) and JEONG Mongju (Poeun), the three men are collectively known as the three eun’s. In 1406 (the 6th year of the reign of King Taejong), King Taejong posthumously appointed Yi Sungin as Personnel Administration Minister, granted him the honorary title of Munchung, and ordered the publication of a collection of his literary works. Accordingly, Doeun seonsaeng sijip was published with Byeon Gyeryang in charge of its compilation and GWON Geun responsible for writing the foreword. Kwon Geun wrote the foreword in 1406, i.e. three years after 1403, the year in which Gyemi metal type, the first metal movable type of the Joseon period, was made. Interestingly, this work features medium-sized characters in Gyemi metal type, which were mostly used for footnotes. The head part of Doeun seonsaeng sijip and the footnotes for the main text are missing, while only four lines of the foreword written by Kwon Geun remain. Despite such flaws, it is a rare and valuable material that is worthy of designation as a “Treasure” because it reveals the original form of the Gyemi metal type with which the first book of the Joseon period was printed, and provides valuable information about the metal movable type printing technique used during the period of transition from the Goryeo to the Joseon dynasty.