Our Country's First Collection of Gasa Poems 'Cheongguyeongeon' Designated as Treasure

Jogyesa Wooden Seated Buddha Statue and Celadon Lion-Shaped Lid Incense Burner Also Designated Treasures
Heukseoksa Temple Relics Added as Two National Treasure Documents

The first song in the main text of 'Cheonggu Yeongeon'

'Cheonggu Yeongeon (靑丘永言)', Korea's first collection of songs and sijo poetry, has been designated as a national treasure. On the 26th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced that it had designated Cheonggu Yeongeon, housed at the National Hangeul Museum, along with the 'Seoul Jogyesa Wooden Seated Buddha Statue', 'Celadon Lion-shaped Lid Incense Burner', 'The Treatise on the Mind by Master Dalma', and 'Annotations on the Chunqiu Jing by Zuo (Volumes 1?9, 20?29, 40?70)' as treasures.

Cheonggu Yeongeon is regarded as one of the three great collections of songs from the Joseon Dynasty, alongside 'Haedong Gayo' and 'Gagok Wonyu'. It contains 580 lyrics that were passed down until the late Joseon period. 'Cheonggu' means Korea, and 'Yeongeon' means songs. It is said to have been compiled by Kim Cheontaek in 1728, but it is difficult to confirm due to the lack of materials for comparing his autograph. This book is a primary source for 'Gagok', which is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Works with known authors are classified by author, while those without are categorized by theme. This classification system was widely used in later collections of Gagok. It shows the language and Korean script styles used by various social classes, making it a significant artifact in the fields of Korean literature, music history, and calligraphy.

Seoul Jogyesa Wooden Seated Buddha Statue

The Jogyesa Wooden Seated Buddha Statue is a rare example of a Ming Dynasty Tibetan Buddhist statue style being adopted. It is estimated to have been made in the 15th century. Originally located at Dogapsa Temple in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do, it was moved to the main hall of Jogyesa Temple in June 1938 during the establishment of the headquarters of Korean Buddhism. It is characterized by a contemplative facial expression, slender and delicate body, graceful folds of clothing, and vivid detailed expression. A Cultural Heritage Administration official described it as "an important cultural asset for the study of Buddhist art history."

The Celadon Lion-shaped Lid Incense Burner is an artifact from the Goryeo Dynasty. It was discovered during the investigation of the Goryeo ship 'Taeanseon' between 2007 and 2008. The Taeanseon, found off Daeseom Island in Taean, Chungcheongnam-do, is believed to have sunk in the early 12th century while heading from Gangjin, Jeollanam-do to the Goryeo capital Gaegyeong. The incense burner consists of a round body and a lion-shaped decorative lid. The lion is depicted in a crouching posture with a decorative bead called a bojoo between its legs. Its raised ears, open mouth, and tongue are roughly rendered but convey a humorous feeling. Although expressed in a bold and rough manner, it is considered a rare form among Goryeo celadon.

Celadon Lion-Shaped Lid Incense Burner

'The Treatise on the Mind by Master Dalma' is a Buddhist scripture summarizing the teachings of Master Dalma, the founder of Seon (Zen) Buddhism. The Baekcheonsa Temple copy is a woodblock print made around 1335 in Gyeongju and printed in the early Joseon period. The last page contains publication records. 'Annotations on the Chunqiu Jing by Zuo' is a commentary on the historical text 'Chunqiu' from the Spring and Autumn period. The newly designated treasure consists of 50 volumes in 5 books. It was printed using woodblocks re-carved in 1431 in Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk Province.

Yeongju Heukseoksa Wooden Amitabha Buddha Seated Statue and Associated Relics

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Cultural Heritage Administration additionally designated two Buddhist scriptures from the 'Yeongju Heukseoksa Wooden Seated Amitabha Buddha Statue and its Inner Artifacts' as national treasures. These are 'Silver Inlaid Gold Lotus Sutra Volume 4' and 'Gold Inlaid Silver Lotus Sutra Volume 5 - Transformation Painting'. Both were found inside the wooden Amitabha Buddha statue. They are believed to have been made in the 15th century. The transformation painting depicts the content and doctrines of Buddhist scriptures. They were evaluated as bibliographically similar to previously designated national treasures.