조선시대 어보(御寶)의 상징체계 연구

Abstract

The Great Seal displays the ranking title of Royal Family. This doesn't contain only the investiture of Queen, the Crown Prince and Princess, the Younger Brother of the King and His Wife, and the Eldest Son of the Crown Prince and His Wife, but also the title admiring Ancestors of Royal Family and revaluating accomplishments of ruling. In the process of analyzing the recent studies on the Great Seal of Joseon, I recognized that most studies concentrated on an appearance of relics and didn't deal with the symbolism represented by the Great Seal. In this paper I focused on reading out the symbol system of the Great Seal, based on the previous studies. Throughout this process, I surveyed the relevant records and relics of Korea and China, and tried to reveal the symbolism of Joseon's Great Seal. The Great Seal of Joseon can be divided into two types. First it is the investiture of Royal Family, and second the demonstration of Royal Legitimacy in the process of admiring Ancestors of Royal Family and revaluating accomplishments of ruling. Second type was the political activity ensuring Royal Legitimacy in the shape of practicing Filial Devotion(孝) by elevating virtues of parents and ancestors and presenting the ranking title. The Seal of Honorific Title(尊號寶), Posthumous Title(諡號寶) and Temple Title(廟號寶) was understood the political ritual relics demonstrating Royal Legitimacy by keeping Clan Rules(宗法) and practicing Filial Devotion. Furthermore I grasped the Great Seal as the Royal Seal graduated by status in shape of grip, style of calligraphy and quality of metal, and endowed with symbolic meaning one by one.