Singugongsinsanghoejemyeongjido Folding Screen

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2080

Category

Painting

Era

조선시대

Designated year

2020

Location

서구, 부산광역시— 부산광역시 서구 구덕로 225 (부민동2가, 동아대학교부민캠퍼스) 석당박물관

Coordinates

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

A folding screen containing a drawing of a celebration held for old and new meritorious retainers has been kept at the Seokdang Museum of Dong-A University. It is a record of period-piece drawing depicting a scene of celebration held by Chunghunbu (the Office of Loyalty and Rewards) in November 1604 (the 37th year of King Seonjo’s reign). According to a daily-log annal on November 13, 1604 of Seonjo Silrok (The True Record of King Seonjo), Vol. 181, Yi Hangbok (1556-1618) and Yu Yeonggyeong (1550-1608) submitted a letter of gratitude to the King for providing alcohol to the event. The daily-log annal provides more information related to the festive event. The number of meritorious retainers in attendance numbered 151 people. Those (42 people) who were registered in February 1590 were recognized for their meritorious deeds of rectifying King Taejo’s family pedigree wrongly recorded in Daming Huidian (collected statues of the Ming Dynasty) and the suppression of rebels led by Jeong Yeorip. And those (109 people) who were registered in June 1604 were recognized for protecting the King to Euiju from harm against Japanese invaders during the Imjin War (1592-1598), performing acts of valor during the Imjin War, and suppressing rebels led by Yi Monghak. Those listed on the left space of the folding screen were those (63 people) still alive at the time of the festive event held in 1604 among the 151 meritorious retainers. The number of those in actual attendance numbered 58 with five people (Yi Sanhae, Ryu Seongryong, Jeong Tak, Yi Unryong, and Nam Jeol) absent due to the old age. This folding screen is composed of four leaves. Leaf 1 depicts a scene of the occasion. Leaves 2 show the list of the attendees. Leaf 4 contains the subject of the picture at the top with the rest of the leaf left blank. The drawing shows the attendees receiving a cup of an alcoholic drink poured by the King at the top of the three-tiered stone stairs under a white tent at the center. On the right of the drawing are people depicted preparing the food over a brazier beside a tree. The drawing was done with highly intricate and clean brushstrokes showing a bird’s eye view and focusing on only the features of people drawn in lines, which were typical recorded patterns in the 17th century. In the distance are images of snow-covered mountains and bare tree branches. The drawing and records show that the event was held in early November. The folding screen depicting the celebratory event held for old and new meritorious retainers deserves to be designated as the National Treasure for its historic and artistic value and being the only one of its kind to remain in this period. In addition, it serves as a reference for the study of styles of drawings in the 17th century, while similar works of this era are rare to find.