Sinpyeon sanhak gyemong (Introduction to Arithmetic)

Few scientific books from the early Joseon period have survived, but the Sinpyeon sanhak gyemong (Introduction to Arithmetic) is a mathematics text imported from the Yuan dynasty, and, together with the Yanghwi Sanbeop and the Sangmyeong Sanbeop, served as a set textbook for the state examinations for technical specialists and for mathematics education. This copy was printed with Gyeongo-ja type, cast from the calligraphy of Grand Prince Anpyeong in the first half of the fifteenth century, and is extremely valuable in that it is complete, with no missing fascicles or sheets. At the end of the volume there is also a colophon recording the casting of the Gyeongja-ja and Gabin-ja movable type during the reign of King Sejong, making it important material for examining early Joseon movable-type printing technology. Moreover, since almost no complete sets survive among books printed with Gyeongo-ja type, the value of this book has been especially highly regarded. For these reasons, it is a valuable resource for the history of science and of publishing in the early Joseon period, as well as for research into metal movable-type printing and bibliography.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Cheongju, Chungbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물