Jiseok

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On display

V&A South Kensington
Korea, Room 47g

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Artist/Maker	Unknown (maker)
Place of origin	Korea (made)

This is a porcelain plaque with Chinese characters painted in underglaze cobalt blue. The text painted on one face of the plaque is a memorial to a Lady Bak of Bannam. She was born in 1752 during the reign of King Yeongjo and died in 1785. The tablet lists the names and official positions of her ancestors and her husband, two sons and two daughters, their spouses and children. One of her sons, Yong-gwan, had the inscription made on the 50th anniversary of his mother's death. Part of the inscription reads: 'made in grief for my mother by her unworthy son Yong-gwan in the ulmi year, the first of His Majesty's reign [1835]'.

Object details

Categories	Ceramics Porcelain Memorials Ceremonial Objects Writing Calligraphy
Object type	Memorial tablet
Parts	This object consists of 2 parts. Stand PLAQUE
Title	Jiseok (generic title)
Materials and techniques	Tablet: White porcelain, painted in underglaze cobalt blue, with translucent glaze. Stand: Carved wood Porcelain Wood Calligraphy Underglaze Carved Glazed
Brief description	Memorial tablet with stand, porcelain with underglaze blue painted text; Korea, Joseon, 1835
Physical description	White porcelain memorial tablet with Chinese characters painted in underglaze cobalt blue. The text painted on one face of the plaque is a memorial to a Lady Bak of Bannam who was born in 1752 during the reign of King Yeongjo and who died in 1785. The tablet lists the names and official positions of her ancestors and her husband, two sons and two daughters, their spouses and children. One of her sons, Yong-gwan, had the inscription produced on the fiftieth anniversary of his mother's death, in 1835.
Dimensions	Tablet height: 21.1cm Tablet width: 18.1cm Tablet depth: 1.6cm
Content description	Original description from accession register: Memorial tablet, porcelain painted in underglaze blue with an inscription. Corea; 19th century. Rectangular, painted with an inscription in ten columns of which a translation is given on the attached sheet.
Style	Chosŏn
Gallery label	(19/1/2021) 1. Neo-Confucian ancestral rites and burials Early 1800s and early 1600s One of the key virtues of Neo-Confucianism was filial piety, hyo, which strengthened bonds and respect for elders within one’s family. The book ‘Family Rites’, or Jujagarye, details how these virtues are practised through rituals for four important ceremonies – coming of age, weddings, ancestral rites and burials. This memorial tablet or jiseok, was commissioned by an ‘unworthy son’ to honour his mother, a Lady Bak of Bannam, on the 50th anniversary of her death. Miniature burials vessels known as myeonggi were placed in royal and noble tombs to wish the deceased a contented afterlife. White porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue, white porcelain Given by Mr Aubrey Le Blond Museum nos. C.102:1-1937, C.505 to 513-1918
Credit line	Purchased from Mr Aubrey Le Blond
Object history	Purchased from Mr Aubrey Le Blond. Register entry 26 May 1937.
Historical context	Purchase value for C.81-1937 through C102-1937, inclusive.
Summary	This is a porcelain plaque with Chinese characters painted in underglaze cobalt blue. The text painted on one face of the plaque is a memorial to a Lady Bak of Bannam. She was born in 1752 during the reign of King Yeongjo and died in 1785. The tablet lists the names and official positions of her ancestors and her husband, two sons and two daughters, their spouses and children. One of her sons, Yong-gwan, had the inscription made on the 50th anniversary of his mother's death. Part of the inscription reads: 'made in grief for my mother by her unworthy son Yong-gwan in the ulmi year, the first of His Majesty's reign [1835]'.
Bibliographic references	Beth McKillop. Korean Art and Design. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. Plate 43 National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. Korean Art Collection Victoria and Albert Museum. Republic of Korea, 2013. p. 199 This rectangular memorial stone was made for Sugin Park who was born in the late 18th century during the reign of King Yeongjo and died in the early 19th century during the reign of King Sunjo. This memorial stone is covered in a translucent glaze with a pale bluish tinge and was produced at a kiln site in Bunwon-ri, Gwangju, in the early 19th century.
Other number	RP 37/2467 - RF number
Collection	East Asia Collection
Accession number	C.102:1, 2-1937

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Record created	April 5, 2000
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O34810/jiseok-memorial-tablet-unknown/

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