驪陽府院君 閔維重 일가 묘소 석물 연구

Abstract

The family of Min Yu-jung (honorary royal title: Yeoyang Buwongun, 1630~1687) rose to become one of the most influential aristocratic families of seventeenth-century Joseon when his daughter was chosen to be the consort of King Sukjong (r. 1674~1720), becoming Queen Inhyeon (1667~ 1701). When his new bride was found unable to give him an heir, King Sukjong turned to Pungsu (or Feng Shui), issuing a command to move the grave of his mother-in-law (Eunseong Bubuin) and, after the death of his father-in-law, to bury both his parents-in-law in the same grave. Following the restoration of Queen Inhyeon’s royal title and status, King Sukjong wrote his own epitaph for the gravestone of Min Yu-jung, establishing a new tradition in which Joseon’s rulers bestowed an inscription on the gravestone of their father-in-law. The restoration of Queen Inhyeon strengthened the status and influence of the Min family, and led to the creation of aesthetically outstanding funerary stones. The funerary stones in the cemetery of the Min family provide important insights into the rise of the family, the burden its members had to bear as the close relations of a queen, and its active role in the politics and culture of Joseon during a period of considerable political stability. The stones also contain information on the cultural background of the great calligraphers of the family, such as Min Yu-jung, Min Jin-hu, Min Jin-won and Min U-su, the relocation of graves, the statues of civil officials carved by Choe Cheon-yak, and other valuable information related with the culture of Joseon in its late phase.