Funeral Bier in Sinhang-ri, Yeongdong

This bier (sangyeo) was made to carry the body of Senior Official Yi Yong-gang to his grave at his funeral. Yi Yong-gang served as Governor of Gyeongsang Province and Minister of Works during the reign of Emperor Gojong of Joseon, and is said to have retired to Hwanggan in Yeongdong to spend his later years. As the bier of a powerful yangban family, it appears to have been specially made, unlike the biers used among commoners. Upon a base frame centred on long carrying poles sits the body that holds the coffin, and over the top a broad cloth is draped to shield it from the sun. Railings run around the body both above and below, covered in black cloth from which coloured bands and tassels hang. On the upper railing stand several figures that appear to represent Dongbangsak, a legendary figure said to have lived for three thousand gapja years, seemingly to guide the deceased on their way. It was made in 1909, the third year of Emperor Sunjong of Joseon, and has been jointly kept and used by the villagers ever since, retaining relatively well its originally very lavish appearance.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yeongdong, Chungbuk

Designation

Provincial Folklore Heritage · 시도민속문화유산