전주사고본 실록의 보존과 관리

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate the changes the copies of the veritable records (sillok) that up until 1592 had been stored in the Jeonju repository underwent after that date. Information about these changes will be helpful for the conservation, restoration, reconstruction and preservation of the veritable records. The veritable records spanning the periods from King Taejo to King Myeongjong’s reigns originally comprised four sets, each containing 806 fascicles in 577 volumes, with silk covers dyed indigo and pages covered in wax. By 1600 already one fascicle had disappeared, leaving 805 fascicles in 576 volumes. In 1592 three sets were completely destroyed, leaving only the Jeonju repository set, which had to be moved several times in search of a safe storage place. Despite being moved several times, the books were not damaged by water or mud, and until 1636 remained in the same condition as at the time they were published. In 1636, because of a fire started by the invading Qing armies, 211 fascicles were completely destroyed while 435 fascicles had missing or torn pages or missing covers. Only 159 fascicles out of 805 maintained their original condition. Also, this time many volumes were affected by mud damage and decay after some books had been stained by rain. This damage was repaired between 1664 and 1666. As a result, the volumes of the veritable records from the Jeonju repository after 1666 exist in many different states: some retained their original form, some had missing pages copied and reinserted, some had only their cover repaired, some had the cover repaired and missing pages copied and reinserted, and in some cases the missing pages were not replaced but simply left out of the fascicle order with the remaining loose pages simply bound together. Damage and decay because of rainwater has not been adequately treated from the 1640s till the present. Now that the time and cause of damage and decay has been ascertained, it is expected that this will contribute towards the research on the conservation of the wax-covered veritable records. It is known that the veritable records from the Jeonju repository were stored at the Mani-san repository on Ganghwa island between 1606 and 1660. However, the layout of the Mani-san repository cannot be ascertained through records, and the place that is nowadays thought to be its original location is not suitable for the establishment of a repository. It is more likely that a building inside the Ganghwa prefecture seat was used as a repository.