Clothes Excavated from the Tomb of Kim Ham

The clothing excavated from the tomb of Kim Ham is a set of relics unearthed on 15 April 1985 in Hakgye-ri, Haksan-myeon, Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do, when the Gimhae Kim clan relocated the grave while reorganising and expanding their ancestral burial ground. Kim Ham was born in 1568, the first year of King Seonjo's reign, passed the military examination in 1588 (the 21st year of King Seonjo) to become a seonjeongwan (a royal messenger-officer), and in 1598 (the 31st year of King Seonjo) died in battle at Hansando Island, fighting under General Yi Sun-sin alongside his father, the magistrate Kim Geuk-hui. As the occupant of the tomb had died in a naval battle and his body could not be recovered, a wooden effigy shaped like his body was made, dressed and shrouded, and given a funeral in his place — a highly unusual find. A necklace strung with 30 beads was also found around the neck, and beneath the arms were five straw effigies made of hemp bark, thought to represent soldiers under his command. In total, seventeen items were recovered: three jangot (long outer coats), two jeogori (jackets), two pairs of trousers, one hat, one pair of quilted cotton socks, one pair of cattail-rush shoes, one quilt, one necklace, and five straw effigies. The relatively small number of garments is thought to reflect a simplified funeral carried out during wartime.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yongin, Gyeonggi

Designation

National Folklore Heritage · 국가민속문화유산