Songseokchoemyeongchang Burial Ground

This is the grave of Choe Myeong-chang (崔命昌, 1466–1536), a civil official of the early Joseon period. Under King Jungjong he was selected as a cheongbaekri, an official honoured for incorruptibility. The burial ground is a circular ssangbun, twin mounds, in which he is interred together with his wife of the Danyang U clan. The grave preserves its original form remarkably well and is highly distinctive: rectangular foundation stones are arranged beneath the mounds and the offering table, and the area around the incense-burner stone is also marked off and raised as a separate platform. Both grave markers are in the isubangbu form, with a dragon-carved capstone and a square pedestal. Unusually, the dragon on Choe Myeong-chang's marker faces left while the dragon on the Danyang U clan marker faces right, so that the two face one another. On the reverse, the patterning is likewise paired: Choe Myeong-chang's marker bears a sun motif wreathed in cloud, and the Danyang U clan marker bears a moon motif, together forming a symmetrical sun-and-moon design. The dongjaseogin, stone figures of child attendants, are carved holding lotus stems in both hands, with heads and bodies turned slightly outward. Carved in marble, they are elegant in material and three-dimensional in technique, making them a representative example of child-attendant figures at Joseon sadaebu burial grounds. The sindobi, a memorial stele recording the deceased's life, stands at the lower left of the burial ground and takes the okgaebangbu form, with a roof-shaped capstone and a square pedestal. The epitaph was composed by Kim An-guk, written out by Kim No, and its seal-script title inscription written by Im Pil-hyeong. Though simple, the stele is grand in scale and represents an early example of the okgaebangbu form. This burial ground is a highly important heritage site for its well-preserved original form and the distinctive arrangement of its stone furnishings. In particular, its rare and unusual child-attendant figures, its two grave markers and its incense-burner stone are representative works of the first half of the sixteenth century, valued highly as cultural heritage for their excellent carving technique and outstanding artistry.

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Where it is

Region

Yangju, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Monument · 시도기념물