Heungwon (Heungseondaewon Temple King)

This is the tomb of Yi Ha-eung (1820–1898), known as Heungseon Daewongun, father of Emperor Gojong. Heungseon Daewongun was posthumously honoured as Heungseondaewonwang in 1907, and in 1908 his tomb was raised in status to a won, the grade given to the tomb of a monarch's parent. The tomb takes the form of a single mound shared with his wife, the Internal Princess Consort of the Yeoheung clan. The stone furnishings of the tomb are made of white granite of excellent quality, carved with a refined, delicate technique that shows outstanding artistry; this is because they were made by the royal court, which makes them all the more important as rare examples of royal tomb sculpture from the modern Joseon court. Around the mound, stone sheep figures are placed facing outward in keeping with the formal arrangement proper to a won-grade tomb, a position they were moved into after 1907. In the lower part of the tomb area, an imposing stone lantern, a pair of ornamental pillars, and civil official statues are arranged in sequence. The stone lantern is notable for its peony decoration, and the small guardian-animal figures carved on the bodies of the ornamental pillars are unusual in showing the animals gripping what looks like a bunch of grapes in their mouths. The civil official statues are imposing in scale and finely rendered in facial expression, giving powerful visual form to their role of guarding the tomb. At the entrance to the tomb area stand a spirit path stele and a marker stone (1905) inscribed "Guktaegong wonso", meaning the tomb site of the Prince of the State, a title for Heungseon Daewongun. The spirit path stele, made in 1908, takes the form of a roofed capstone set on a tortoise-shaped base, in keeping with the formal status due a posthumously honoured king. The contrast between the stele's body, carved from dark stone, and its white tortoise base makes it all the more striking. This tomb continues the final line of Joseon royal tombs, and, holding outstanding stone furnishings that can represent the modern style, it is of great academic significance.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Namyangju, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물