And Spirit-path Stele of Kim Man-gi Tomb

Kim Man-gi (1633-1687) was a civil official active in the mid-to-late seventeenth century, during the reigns of King Hyojong, King Hyeonjong and King Sukjong. His great-grandfather was Kim Jang-saeng, a leading authority on ritual studies, and his teacher was Song Si-yeol; through them Kim Man-gi was closely linked to the spread of ritual studies in late Joseon. His younger brother was Kim Man-jung, author of the novel Guunmong, and his daughter became Queen Ingyeong, consort of King Sukjong. After Sukjong took the throne, Kim Man-gi, now the king's father-in-law, was invested as Gwangseong Buwongun. The Kim Man-gi family burial ground is arranged in four tiers. At the top lie Kim Man-gi and his wife. On the east side of the middle tier is the grave of his son Kim Jin-gu (1651-1704), and on the west side of the middle tier the grave of Kim Jin-gu's son Kim Chun-taek (1670-1717). The lower tier holds a continuous row of graves of Kim Man-gi's later descendants. Two steles stand at the grave of Kim Man-gi and his wife. The eastern stele, erected in 1687, carries an inscription composed by Song Si-yeol and written in calligraphy by Kim Man-gi's son Kim Jin-gyu; its base stone is carved with two haetae, mythical lion-like guardian beasts, a detail that hints at the standing of the Joseon royal house. The western stele bears an inscription in King Sukjong's own hand, written in 1699 and known as an eopil, or royal brush, with the characters for eopil carved at the top in seal script - evidence that Kim Man-gi was accorded the treatment due a gukgu, the king's father-in-law. Below Kim Man-gi's burial mound a low sadaeseok, a retaining course of stones around the base of the mound, was installed, setting it apart in rank from the other graves. Such sadaeseok appear at royal tombs such as Jangneung Royal Tomb, the tomb of King Wonjong, and are otherwise found only at the graves of figures connected to the royal family or of senior officials. The pair of civil-official stone figures placed at Kim Man-gi's grave, shown wearing gold crowns and court robes, are carved with a skill fine enough to bear comparison with the stone figures of seventeenth-century royal tombs.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gunpo, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물