조선 후기 內弓房 內弓人의 別造弓 제작실태

Abstract

It is well known that the bows of the Joseon Dynasty have been classed to be of the best quality in the world. This paper aims to examine the background of the production of the high-quality bows through conducting research on literature from the late Joseon. To that end, the study analyzed artisans that belonged to Naegungbang of the Joseon Dynasty; and reviewed their statuses, the manufacturing system of special bows, the supervising officer and the archery competition held to inspect their quality. The research indicated that the kings of the Joseon Dynasty displayed many interests in specially created bows and arrows to be offered to envoys from China or their subjects. In order to maintain their high quality, King Sukjong appointed a supervising officer(Jigungpumdangsang) at the third rank or higher who was responsible for inspecting the quality of bows to be offered to the king. King Yeongjo made them classify bows and arrows into grade, record their grades in the list and report it to the Ministry of Military Affair. In particular, King Jeongjo, who was an excellent archer himself, frequently held archery competitions for his subjects and identified the quality of the items and granted the awards to high quality bow makers or excellent archers as a mark of encouragement. From the mid-18th to the late 19th, the statuses of the bow makers and arrow makers at the Office were higher than those of other artisans, and generally the military personnel who did not hold governmental posts engaged in these jobs. They were not only capable of the production of bows or arrows but also for the art of shooting an arrow as military personnel. Of them, the distinguished artisans, who were acknowledged by the officials and the governmental offices to have created 1,000 or more bows or arrows at the Office Designated for Making Bows and Arrows spanning two decades, were able to hold higher official posts. A number of them produced the objects for 40 to 60 years; several brothers worked as artisans and formed artisan families. Thus, from this research, it can be identified that the excellence of Korean bows and arrows was the outcome of the dexterous skills and experience of the artisans, the meticulous inspection of the supervising officers and the strict management of the records.