Jungwangu(1986-1)

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.858

Category

Craft

Era

조선시대

Designated year

1986

Location

진주시, 경상남도— 경남 진주시 남강로 626-35, 국립진주박물관 (남성동,진주성)

Coordinates

35.188778, 128.076941

Called wangu or daenggu in Korean, this mortar is a type of firearm that can be shot by ignition on a wire. Choe Hae-san (1380-1443) is said to have invented it during the reign of King Taejong (r. 1400-1418) of the Joseon Dynasty. A mortar consists of three parts: a bowl-shaped muzzle, a barrel, and a powder chamber; a large stone or a metal ball is placed on the muzzle to be shot. The powder chamber is the place where gunpowder is put, and it has two ignition holes into which an igniter is put. In the middle, between the powder chamber and the muzzle, is the barrel, where there is a wooden piece for conveying the explosive force that occurs when gunpowder explodes to the muzzle. With total length of 64.5 cm, this mortar was accidentally discovered in 1985 by a local resident climbing a mountain in Donghwa-ri, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. According to records, this mortar was cast by a man named Yi Mul-geum of the Hamgyeong-do Province region in the ninth lunar month in 1590 (23rd year of King Seonjo’s reign), a mere two years before the massive Japanese invasion. The shooting range reached 1 ri (approx. 0.4 km) once a bomb was shot out. This mortar seems to have been transported to Hadong in Gyeongsangnam-do Province in order to pursue the fleeing Japanese invaders during the war, after it was manufactured in the Hamgyeong-do area. Although buried underground for a long time, it has no external dents at all, demonstrating the exquisite production technology. The manufacturing time has been clearly identified, proving the fact that it was used in the battles against the Japanese army. This mortar is regarded as an important historical material for research on the history of firearms.

Location