Calligraphy by An Jung-geun

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.569-1

Category

Books & Records

Era

1910년

Designated year

1972

Location

천안시, 충청남도— 충청남도 천안시

Coordinates

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

An Jung-geun (1879-1910) left a series of autographs during his five-month stay in a jail of Lushun, from his assassination of Ito Hirobumi at Harbin Railway Station (October 26, 1909) to his death on March 26, 1910. These autographs are together designated as a Treasure, as a group. Most are from February to March 1910. The date and place are written on the left side of each autograph, along with his name and nationality, followed by his palm mark. Many of the calligraphies are maxims and aphorisms taken from Lunyu (Analects of Confucius) or Shiji (Historical Records). Some of them are his own compositions, either expressing his thoughts and sentiments on themes including the fleeting nature of the world, or voicing his wariness of Japan. There are even calligraphies of house names written at the behest of others. Most of them were written for Japanese prosecutors and prison guards. Item No. 569-21, for instance, was written for Orita Tadasu, who fought in the Russo-Japanese War and later worked at Lushun Prison. When Orita Tadasu returned to Japan upon the liberation of Korea on August 15, 1945, he gave this calligraphy to his nephew Orita Kanji. Decades later, on February 20, 1989, it was donated to Dankook University. Meanwhile, Items No. 569-22 and 23 have a dedication that reads “For Prosecutor Yasuoka.”