Calligraphy by Han Ho

Calligraphy by Han Ho is a collection of works from the later years of Han Ho (1543–1605), sobriquet Seokbong, a renowned calligrapher of King Seonjo's reign. It comprises three albums forming a single set. Albums 1 and 2 contain pieces written between 1602, after he was relieved of his post as magistrate of Gapyeong, and 1604, while he was serving as magistrate of Heupgok. At the end of "Postscript to Han Gyeonghong's Calligraphy Album" in Album 1 is written the date "15th day of the seventh month, imin year [1602] [Seokbong]"; at the end of a passage from the Shishuo xinyu (New Account of Tales of the World) in Album 2 is written "8th day of the fourth month, gapjin year [1604] [Seokbong]"; and at the end of "Eight Poems on Autumn Feelings for the Governor of the Capital, Inscribed for Wang Myeongbo" is written "written at Hangnim county office on the 9th day of the fourth month of the gapjin year, the 32nd year of the Wanli reign [1604] [Seokbong]". The seal "Seokbong" is stamped in nine places in all. The content consists of poems written for Han Ho by close friends, including Choe Rip (sobriquet Ganidang, 1539–1612), his own poems, and Chinese poems he admired, written in gold ink on black or indigo-dyed paper in a variety of scripts — regular, running and cursive. Album 3 is a transcription of the Daoist scripture Seol sangcheongjeonggyeong (Sutra of Constant Purity and Tranquillity); the date of its writing is unknown. The wrapper containing these albums bears the inscriptions "Han Gyeonghong jinjeok" (Genuine Calligraphy of Han Gyeonghong) and "Pojoldang jinjang" (Treasured by Pojoldang), together with an instructive passage on the collecting of art attributed to Zhao Mengfu, and the seals "[Pojoldang]", "[Kim Gwang-guk jang]" and "[Wonbin-ssi]", showing that the albums were once in the collection of the renowned eighteenth-century calligraphy and painting collector Kim Gwang-guk (sobriquet Seongnong, 1727–1797). Four of Kim Gwang-guk's collection seals are also stamped on the front and back of each album. This set of three albums, Seokbong's genuine calligraphy, is by far the finest example of Han Ho's brushwork known today. It is highly valued for its variety of scripts, for showing the mature style of his later years, and for having passed through the discerning eye of the collector Kim Gwang-guk.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물