Seogeojeong Piljeok

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1622

Category

Books & Records

Designated year

2010

Location

용인시, 경기도— 경기도 용인시 기흥구 상갈로 6 (상갈동, 경기도박물관)

Coordinates

37.268330, 127.108756

This album of poems contains writings by Qi Shun (admitted into the civil service in 1460, courtesy name: Zihe, penname: Xunchuan), a Ming envoy who visited Korea in late January 1476 (the 7th year of the reign of King Seongjong during the Joseon Dynasty), along with writings by Seo Geo-jeong (1420-1488), who received and hosted him in the capacity of Joseon’s state representative, during this visit. The cover page displays the title “Cheonsa sahan jinjeok (Veritable Verses by the Envoy of China).” At the beginning of the book, there is a long five-word poem that Qi Shun wrote for Jang Yu-hwa, the Korean interpreter who assisted him during his stay in Uiju, on the 11th day of the third lunar month, about forty days into his visit. Toward the end of the album is a poem Seo Geo-jeong wrote also for Jang Yu-hwa, on the gapsul day in the sixth lunar month of the same year. The page containing the beginning portion of the poem, however, is missing. The album has a postscript at the end, dated the somang day of the ninth lunar month in 1736 (the 12th year of King Yeongjo’s reign), which states that manuscripts containing these writings were obtained from a certain Kim Hong-gi (courtesy name: Bucho) and were bound into an album. There are very few extant calligraphic works from early Joseon. This album containing a poem written in the hand of Seo Geo-jeong, a celebrated literati calligrapher of the 15th century, is also of enormous significance in that it also contains a work by the Ming envoy he was hosting, offering windows into the historical exchange between Joseon and the Chinese dynasty. Each text is dated, and the name of their author is accompanied by their title and rank, courtesy name and penname. The postscript from the 12th year of King Yeongjo’s reign explaining how these calligraphy texts were obtained adds further value to this album. Other examples of Seo Geo-jeong’s writings in semi-cursive script are in Volume 6 of his literary anthology, Sagajip (Anthology of Four Beauties) and in Volume 7 of Tongmungwanji (Chronicle of the Office of Interpretation).

Location