대한제국기 金冊의 현황과 양식적 특징

Abstract

This paper focuses on organizing the current status of the 16 gold investiture books created during the era of the Korean Empire and reviewing the manufacturing process and structural characteristics (materials, size, design, format, and decorative binding, etc.) of these gold books by examining related records on royal protocols. Simultaneously, hand-copied editions and rubbing editions of the abovementioned gold investiture books are examined in order to reveal the diverse conditions of letters of investiture. This paper concentrates on gold investiture books from the aspect of diplomatics but it also deals with various other issues involved with gold investiture books such as administrative and ritual procedures or materials, design, and decorative binding, etc. due to the complex characteristics of these letters of investiture. On September 17, 1897, Gojong ascended to the status of emperor by proclaiming the beginning of the Korean Empire. Royal protocols thereby had to undergo great changes, of which the letter of investiture system was one. Until then, it was forbidden for Joseon, as a dynastic kingdom, to use gold investiture books, which only the imperial household could use; Joseon could only use jade or bamboo investiture books during royal protocols. And because Gojong’s status changed to that of emperor, gold investiture books were used for the very first time during the investiture of Queen Myeongseong, crown prince, and crown princess as empress, imperial crown prince, and imperial crown princess, respectively. Since then, in the following 13 years until the investiture of King Heungchin and Queen Heungchin on July 24, 1910, a total of 16 gold investiture books were produced. During this period, jade investiture books were used for granting eulogistic titles, posthumous titles, and posthumous shrine titles, or as official eulogy upon death, but bamboo investiture books were no longer used after gold investiture books took over their role. In addition, jade investiture books were used for the last time by imperial crown prince Yi Eun to honor Sunjong with the eulogistic title of "Emperor of Filial Piety," posthumous title of "Emperor Who Reviews What Has Been Learned, Protects Peace with Arms, Cultivates the People with Benevolence, and Reveres Ancestors with Sincerity," and posthumous shrine title of "Emperor of Purity" on April 20, 1926, upon the death of Sunjong, and letters of investiture disappeared into history in the same year. Letters of investiture are not only artistic crafts and ritual utensils of the royal (imperial) household but act simultaneously as a type of official document. Furthermore, the symbolic significance attached to them is great because they are created for a few specific persons at the top tier of the royal (imperial) household. Unlike other official documents, therefore, the production or handling of these documents is accompanied by strict control and administrative and ritual procedures, as well as mobilization of many artisans. As type of document, these documents are unique in that composite materials such as wood, various metals and silk, and pigments were used on top of paper and ink. As a result of this research, it was found that there does not seem to be much difference between gold, jade, and bamboo investiture books other than a few minor differences arising from variations in materials used or state of existence. The fact that little difference exists between the various investiture books may be related to the strongly conservative nature of royal protocols.