Artifacts of Peddlers

These are artifacts of bobusang, itinerant peddlers who carried goods on their backs or in packs, belonging to the Jeosan Palgu Sangmu-usa, a merchant guild office of the Joseon period. Jeosan Palgu refers to the eight counties of Buyeo, Hongsan, Nampo, Biin, Hansan, Seocheon, Imcheon and Jeongsan, all major producers of ramie cloth (mosi); the name was given because trading activity centred on these eight regions. The surviving artifacts include the seal of the yeongwi, an advisory figure within the Usa organisation, the seal used by working officials, and the box in which the seals were kept. In addition there remain two flags, twenty-five chajeongseo, documents by which the magistrate or county head of each county appointed the head or steward of the Sangmu-usa and its members, forty-three soji, petitions submitted to the commander of a military garrison or to a provincial governor, and jeollyeong, official notices received from administrative offices. Eighteen kinds of jeonjeok, various documents relating to the Sangmusa, also survive, and these documents are especially important material for clarifying the relationship between local government offices and peddler organisations.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Buyeo, Chungnam

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산