Calligraphy by Kim Hyeon-seong

Calligraphy by Kim Hyeon-seong (金玄成 筆蹟) was written in 1614 by Namchang Kim Hyeon-seong (1542–1621), a celebrated calligrapher active during the reigns of King Seonjo and King Gwanghaegun. In semi-cursive script he transcribed nine quatrains and regulated poems by Bugae Yi Jeung (1525–1600). Yi Jeung, of the Hansan Yi clan, served as Minister of Rites, was enfeoffed as Prince Acheon, and was posthumously honoured with the title Uigan-gong. The circumstances of the transcription are recorded in a colophon at the end of the album: Kim Hyeon-seong, who was on close terms with Yi Jeung's son, Mansa Yi Gyeong-ham (1553–1627), agreed to copy out the poems at his request. Kim Hyeon-seong was a master of the Songseol style, the calligraphic manner descended from the Yuan-dynasty calligrapher Zhao Mengfu (sobriquet Songseol) that had been popular since the early Joseon period; he was especially influenced by Seong Su-chim (1493–1564) and others, and won renown for his soft, flowing style. The writing in this album of poems exemplifies the 16th-century Joseon adaptation of the Songseol style that had descended from Prince Anpyeong in the 15th century. Written with the mature hand of a 63-year-old, it can be considered the most representative example among Kim Hyeon-seong's calligraphic works known to date. Apart from the trimming and remounting of the paper ground, the condition is good, and the colophon at the end, which records the occasion and date of writing, adds further to its value.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물