Ikseonggun Spirit-path Stele and Museok

Ikseonggun (1566–1612), given name Hyangnyeong, was the second son of Ha Won-gun Jeong, who was a son of Deokheung Daewongun (King Jungjong's ninth son) and thus a grandson of King Jungjong. He was born in 1566, the twenty-first year of King Myeongjong, and was granted the title Ikseongjeong at the age of thirteen. During the Japanese invasions of the 1590s he followed King Seonjo, who was then staying at Uiju, and after returning to Seoul was invested as Ikseonggun in 1597, the thirtieth year of King Seonjo. However, in 1612, the fourth year of King Gwanghaegun, he became embroiled in a false accusation and was exiled to Geojedo Island, where he ended his days. The spirit-path stele was erected in 1634, the twenty-first year of King Injo. The inscription was composed by Jo Ik and written by O Jun, while the header title, "Ikseonggun sindobimyeong" (Inscription for the Spirit-path Stele of Ikseonggun), was written in seal script as a dujeon (a band of seal-script characters running around the top of the stele) by Yeo I-jing. The stele was made during a period of transition from the Chinese-style isu (a capstone carved in the shape of a dragon) to the gacheomseok (a native Korean roof-shaped capstone); it was set on a tall nongdaeseok (cage-shaped pedestal stone), with the stele body and capstone carved from a single piece of marble. It stands about 320 cm tall. The front of the capstone is carved with a banyong (a coiled dragon that has not yet ascended to heaven, shown half-emerged), while the sides and back bear cloud patterns in relief. Instead of the usual tortoise-shaped base, a square nongdaeseok pedestal was used. A pair of muinseok (military-official stone statues) stand on either side of the tomb precinct. Each is carved from a single stone, wearing a helmet and armour, holding a sword with both hands, with a scabbard at the waist. This form provides valuable material for research into the dress of military officials and stone-carving techniques of the mid-Joseon period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Nonsan, Chungnam

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산