King Seonjo Dae King Royal Calligraphy Folding Screen of Beopjusa Temple, Boeun

During the Joseon dynasty, King Seonjo was fond of visiting Jungsajaam, a hermitage affiliated with Beopjusa Temple on Songnisan Mountain, and is said to have built a wondang (a hall for offering prayers) to its south and granted it a supply of grain. King Seonjo bestowed calligraphy on many people, and is also said to have once given Master Seosan an ink-brush bamboo painting together with an inscribed eulogy in his own hand. This King Seonjo Royal Calligraphy Folding Screen is traditionally said to have been bestowed together with the Sinbeop Cheonmundo Byeongpung (a New Method Celestial Chart screen) when King Yeongjo presented the Juseomuilpyeon screen in 1758, his thirty-fourth year on the throne, although no record confirming this has been found. At the head of the first panel, the seal-script characters reading "Royal Calligraphy of King Seonjo" are inscribed. The writing is in large, flowing cursive script; though a few characters are missing, the brushwork is fluent and bold. Judging from the content of the verses, they are thought to express the loneliness of old age, composed while King Seonjo was staying in the mountains. King Seonjo is said to have excelled at cursive script. The screen comprises eight panels, each measuring 67 cm wide and 190 cm tall, written in cursive script and consisting of four five-character quatrains. Although this screen was produced by woodblock printing, it is considered valuable for the study of Korean woodblock-printing culture and calligraphic history in the mid-Joseon period. Overall, it is in good condition.

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Where it is

Region

Boeun, Chungbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산