Cheongju Han Ssi Munjeonggongpa Burial Ground Spirit-path Stele

This is the spirit-path stele complex for the family burial ground of the Munjeonggong branch of the Cheongju Han clan. The site was a sapae-ji, land granted directly by the king, bestowed by King Seongjong, and from the early Joseon period it became established as the hereditary burial ground (sejangsan) of the Cheongju Han clan for generations. Here lie the graves and spirit-path steles of Han Gye-hui, posthumously titled Lord Munjeong, and his sons Han Sa-mun and Han Sa-gae. The burial ground was substantially restored in the 1970s, and its stone furnishings are a mixture of old and new pieces. The most notable of these stone furnishings are the spirit-path steles (sindobi), steles erected beside the road near a tomb to commemorate the lifetime achievements of a king or high official. The spirit-path stele of Han Gye-hui was erected in 1483, the 14th year of King Seongjong; its inscription was composed by Seo Geo-jeong and written by An Chim. Its form is of the hayeopsubangbu type, a stele with a capstone decorated with an inverted lotus leaf set on a square base, and after long exposure its marble has largely worn away. Its detailed carving is well balanced left and right, a typical example of a fifteenth-century stele. The spirit-path stele of Han Sa-mun was erected in 1508, the third year of King Jungjong, with an inscription composed by Sin Yong-gae. It too is of the hayeopsubangbu type and is so close to Han Gye-hui's stele in scale, material and ornament that it was evidently modelled on it. The memorial stone (myogal) of Han Sa-gae was made in 1564, the 19th year of King Myeongjong, with an inscription composed by Kim An-no. It is of marble, of the unsubangbu type, a stele with a capstone decorated with cloud or sun-and-moon motifs on a square base, and is unusual in having a sun motif carved on the front of the capstone and a crescent moon on the back. Because this burial ground and its spirit-path steles have clearly recorded dates, are representative of the early Joseon period, and together allow the changing styles of stone furnishings to be traced in a single place, they are of high value as cultural heritage.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seongnam, Gyeonggi

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료