Bier of Nameundeul Village

The Bier of Nameundeul Village was used to carry the body of Yi Gu, Prince Namyeon, father of Heungseon Daewongun, to his burial site; it is also known as haengsang, yeongyeo, or ollyanggeo. It is kept in a bier shed at the entrance to Nameundeul Village, and unlike most such biers, which are dismantled for storage, it is displayed fully assembled for viewing. (It is currently housed in the National Palace Museum of Korea.) On a basic frame centred on long carrying poles, a body to hold the coffin was built, and a wide cloth was spread over the top to block the sunlight. The body is carved with phoenix and dragon designs and hung with multicoloured bands and tassels, giving it a solemn yet resplendent appearance that seems intended to pray for the repose of the deceased and ease the grief of the living. According to tradition, Prince Namyeon died in 1822, the twenty-second year of King Sunjo, and Heungseon Daewongun, following geomantic theory that the site of Gayasa Temple (now the site of Bodeoksa Temple in Sangga-ri, Yesan-gun) was an auspicious spot that would bring forth royal descendants, burned down Gayasa Temple in 1840, the sixth year of King Heonjong, and moved his father's grave there. Records state that the following year his second son, Yi Jae-hwang - who would later ascend the throne as Emperor Gojong - was born, so the bier is presumed to have been made sometime between 1840 and 1852, the year of Gojong's birth. This bier is valuable as an artifact chiefly because it belonged to Prince Namyeon, father of Heungseon Daewongun, rather than for its own sake, and the carving technique of each part is also valuable material for studying the sculpture of the period. It is also significant in that its date of manufacture can be estimated with some precision, unlike most other biers. Furthermore, since it was made before Heungseon Daewongun rose to power, it is plainer than biers used by the royal family, yet it may have been produced by the Gwihuseo, the office responsible for making royal biers. (It is worth comparing with the Bier of Cheongpung Buwongun, which retains the structure of the daeyeo, the type of royal bier used by the royal family in the reign of King Sukjong.)

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산