Stele of King Taejong at Heolleung Royal Tomb, Seoul

The Stele of King Taejong at Heolleung Royal Tomb, Seoul, was erected in 1422, the fourth year of King Sejong. This stele was erected with an inscription carved to commemorate for all time the life and achievements of King Taejong, Yi Bang-won (1367–1422), the fifth son of King Taejo and the third king of Joseon, who firmly established the foundations of the dynasty. The inscription was composed by Byeon Gye-ryang, a civil official and literary figure of King Taejong's reign, and the seal-script heading was written by Gwon Hong (1360–1446), a calligrapher of the time. Although the calligrapher of the main inscription text remains unidentified, it is an important epigraphic resource well suited to research on the calligraphic culture and trends of the early Joseon period. Although the tortoise-shaped base (gwibu) of the stele was damaged during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), the hornless-dragon capstone (isu) has been well preserved in its original form, making this stele a benchmark work for research into the isu style of steles as the tradition of Ming Chinese stone stele-carving was newly adopted in the early Joseon period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seocho-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물