The Seals of the Joseon Dynasty (1st)
  
information on Korean stamp
Date of Issue |
: 2015.05.15 |
Types |
: 4 |
Denomination |
: 영우표(300) won |
Design |
: |
Stamp No. |
: 3062 |
Printing Process
& Colors |
: Offset, four colors + metallic ink(red) + shiny varnish |
Size of Stamp |
: 26.8mm × 36.5mm |
WholeSheet
Composition |
: 우표: 4 × 5, 소형시트: 2 × 2 |
Image Area |
: 26.8mm × 36.5mm |
Paper |
: White Un watermarked |
Perforation |
: 14 |
Printer |
: Cartor for POSA |
Designer |
: Kim, So-jeong |
Quantity |
: 250,000 stamps each (S/S 200,000 |
Detail
The personal seals used by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty were
cherished possessions. They are valuable cultural heritage. The
kings used them to mark their books, paintings, or calligraphic
works, and their delicate carving and patterns give us insight into
the artistic tastes of the royal family. Primarily made of metal or
stone, these personal seals are artworks in their own right that
brought script art to the next level as they retain the natural
color and shape of the material used and the fonts were carefully
arranged and aligned.
Known for his exceptional artistic sensibility, King Heonjong (1827
~ 1849), the 24th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, appreciated
and enjoyed collecting seals, making him an important figure
in the seal art of the Joseon royal family. He even published a
book titled, Bosodanginjon (寶蘇堂印存), to introduce the seals
he personally collected as well as seals used for private purposes
by previous kings of Joseon. Korea Post introduces four personal
seals from King Heonjong’s collection in the first set of the Seals
of the Joseon Dynasty Series.
Featuring a dragon flying through clouds on the four upper
vertical sides, one of the seals bears an engraving of fourcharacter
phrase, Mangiyeoga (萬幾餘暇), meaning “Enjoy brief
calmness amidst the King’s countless state affairs.” Though it
is certain that the seal originally belonged to a king of Joseon,
it is not clear which king this was. Another seal, engraved with
Ssangri ( ), bears carving of two dragons that stand out for
their simplified form. The handle of the seal features two dragons
crouched down. The seal is believed to have been produced
during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty of
China or was replicated afterwards, according to its description in
Bosodanginjon. The third seal is made of bronze and is engraved
with Ucheonhasa ( 友天下士), which means “Becoming friends
with scholars of the world.” And, the last one, engraved with
Hyangcheonsimjeongseohwajigi ( 香泉審定書畵之記), features an
impressive handle designed in the form of a crouched lion. Known
to be the seal that King Heonjong used to stamp paintings and
calligraphic works he had collected, it is evidence of the artistic
side of King Heonjong who cherished, appreciated, and even
appraised painting and calligraphic works.
Among the collection of King Heonjong featured in this Series,
Ssangri, Ucheonhasa, and Hyangcheonsimjeongseohwajigi - all
except Mangiyeoga, which was in the collection of the National
Palace Museum of Korea - are cultural heritage that were
returned and officially brought to Korea during the Korea-US
Summit in April, 2014.