Gimhyeonseong Piljeok

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1626

Category

Books & Records

Designated year

2010

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 용산구 서빙고로 137 (용산동6가, 국립중앙박물관)

Coordinates

37.576571, 126.974851

This book is an anthology of quatrains and regulated verse poems composed by Yi Jeung (1525-1600, pen-name: Bugae), written in the hand of Kim Hyeon-seong (1542-1621, pen-name: Namchang), a famous calligrapher during the reigns of King Seonjo and King Gwanghaegun. The calligraphies in semi-cursive script were written in 1614. Yi Jeung, the author of these poems, was the minister of rites and received the honorific title of Lord Acheon during his lifetime, and that of Lord Uigan, posthumously. The postscript at the end of the album explains how Kim Hyeon-seong came to write Yi Jeung’s poems; the former accepted the request from the latter’s son, Yi Gyeong-ham (1153-1627), being a close acquaintance of his. Kim Hyeon-seong was renowned for Songxue style, popular since early Joseon. His calligraphic style, also influenced by Seong Su-chim (1493-1564), was praised for its softness and elegance. The calligraphies in this album of poetry are classical examples of 16th-century Songxue style, which evince a stronger feel for Joseon’s native flavor than in the 15th century, when the trend was led by Prince Anpyeong. These calligraphies, written when Kim Hyeon-seong was sixty-three years of age, show a level of maturity and assuredness, unprecedented in any other surviving works of his. The album is in a decent state of preservation and will be more so, especially if the bottom sheets are trimmed to remove unnecessary parts. The postscript at the end of the album, meanwhile, relates the circumstances and date of its creation.

Location