Korean. <em>Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7</em>, circa 1579. Porcelain with underglaze, 9 7/16 × 7 7/8 in. (24 × 20 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Carroll Family Collection, 2017.29.24 (Photo: , 2017.29.24_PS9.jpg)

Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7, circa 1579. Porcelain with underglaze, 9 7/16 × 7 7/8 in. (24 × 20 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Carroll Family Collection, 2017.29.24 (Photo: , 2017.29.24_PS9.jpg)

DOWNLOAD

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

For the Epitaph Plaques, why is the text in Chinese instead of Korean?

Many people wonder the same thing. Hangul, the syllabary you recognize as Korean, is actually incredibly young. It was invented in the 1440s by King Sejong, along with a group of linguists, with the goal of inventing a writing system that would better fit with the spoken Korean language and allow the common people to communicate more easily with the government.

Many scholars and nobles continued to use Chinese characters for centuries afterwards, however, as they were reluctant to give up the power that came with being literate where commoners weren't.

It's also "fancier," having a similar effect as Latin used in modern Christian contexts.

Ahhh I see. Thanks!

Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

CULTURE Korean

MEDIUM Porcelain with underglaze

Place Made: Korea

DATES circa 1579

DYNASTY Joseon dynasty

DIMENSIONS 9 7/16 × 7 7/8 in. (24 × 20 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 2017.29.24

CREDIT LINE Gift of the Carroll Family Collection

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Epitaph plaque with 12 lines of script on the "recto." From a group of 7 plaques commemorating Hwang Yun-gil (1536-?), who served as Prime Minister under King Sonjo (r. 1567-1608). He served as part of the mission to Japan, where he met with Emperor Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He is known for predicting Japan's invasion of Korea in 1592. Epitaph plaques serve as memorials for the individuals with whom they were buried. They typically recount the career and ancestry of the subject, and were occasionally disinterred and replaced with updated versions. Most epitaph plaques were written in underglaze cobalt blue. This set is unusual because it is writen in underglaze iron red.

EXHIBITIONS

Arts of Korea

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Asian Galleries, South, 2nd floor

CAPTION Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7, circa 1579. Porcelain with underglaze, 9 7/16 × 7 7/8 in. (24 × 20 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Carroll Family Collection, 2017.29.24 (Photo: , 2017.29.24_PS9.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 2017.29.24_PS9.jpg., 2017

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT No known copyright restrictions

This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement. You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

For the Epitaph Plaques, why is the text in Chinese instead of Korean?

Many scholars and nobles continued to use Chinese characters for centuries afterwards, however, as they were reluctant to give up the power that came with being literate where commoners weren't.

It's also "fancier," having a similar effect as Latin used in modern Christian contexts.

Ahhh I see. Thanks!