Yi Won-ik Injomyojeongbaehyang Royal Edict

A gyoseo is a document conveying a royal command. The "Yi Won-ik Injo Myojeong Baehyang Gyoseo", held at the Chunghyeon Memorial Hall, is a royal edict of enshrinement issued on the thirtieth day of the sixth month of 1651, the second year of King Hyojong, to Ori Yi Won-ik (1547-1634). In July 1651, before six meritorious subjects, including Yi Won-ik, were enshrined in King Injo's shrine hall at Jongmyo Shrine, an edict of this kind was issued to each of them. Of the document's thirty-four lines, lines 1 to 6 state that it is an enshrinement edict and give the title and name of its recipient; lines 7 to 33 form the main text; and line 34 records the date of issue. The main text praises Yi Won-ik's character and achievements by comparing him to the Song-dynasty chief ministers Sima Guang (1019-1086) and Zhang Jun (1097-1164), and states that, among the six meritorious subjects enshrined in King Injo's shrine hall, he is given the first place. The document is made of five sheets of thick paper joined together, and the vermilion seal reading "Simyeongjibo" (施命之寶) is stamped seven times in all: at the four points where the sheets are joined, once on the first line of the title, once beside the date of issue, and once within the main text. This edict is a meaningful record for showing how Yi Won-ik was regarded after his death, and it is also of considerable value as a rare surviving example that preserves, complete in form and content, an edict enshrining a meritorious subject at Jongmyo Shrine.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산