Carved on both sides, with later wooden handles & nicely engraved protective metalwork & two rings on each handle, containing parts of Hunchiyang sŏnsaeng munjip 塤篪兩先生文集 [The Collected Works of Two Masters, Hun & Chi], by Chŏng Man-yang 鄭萬陽 & Chŏng Gwi-yang 鄭葵陽, carved with classical Chinese text
Woodblock (240 x 445 mm.) & handles. [Korea: 1706].
Woodblocks are invaluable historical artifacts in East Asian history, serving as key instruments in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. The printing process involves brushing ink onto the carved surface, pressing a sheet of paper onto it, and rubbing it with a printing pad or brush to transfer the inked negative impression. Korea has a long and distinguished history of woodblock printing, with remarkable achievements such as the Tripitaka Koreana (13th century). Nevertheless, only a few original woodblocks have survived, as they were vulnerable to wear, war, and environmental decay. Extant examples, extremely rare outside of Korea, are especially valuable for understanding early modern printing culture, scholarly networks, and book history.
Hunchiyang sŏnsaeng munjip, published in 1706 (King Sukchong 32), is a monumental collected works of two brothers, Chŏng Man-yang 鄭萬陽 (1664-1730) and Chŏng Gwi-yang 鄭葵陽 (1667-1732). The title references the hun and chi, two harmonizing ancient Chinese wind instruments, symbolizing the brothers’ deep fraternal affection — a metaphor drawn from the Confucian classic the Shijing (Book of Odes). Often likened to the celebrated Cheng brothers of Song China (920-1279), the Korean Chŏng brothers embodied the ideal of harmony in both familial and scholarly life. They declined official appointments in favor of nurturing their community, educating later generations, and preserving scholarly and ceremonial traditions.
The complete collection comprises 30 kwŏn in 16 volumes and includes more than 700 poems, 300 chronological letters, assorted essays, a family genealogy, and rare musical diagrams and scores for the hun and chi — an exceptional feature that illuminates musicological practices among the 18th-century Chosŏn literati. Our woodblock contains the 17th and 18th leaves of the 30th kwŏn.
The block is in near-perfect condition. We believe that the handles and affixed ornamental metalwork were added later so the woodblock could be hung as a decorative item. Original woodblocks are exceedingly difficult to find outside Korea, and no institutional holding of even the printed edition from this block is known outside the country. Many of the surviving woodblocks are preserved at the Academy of Korean Studies in Seoul.
Woodblocks are invaluable historical artifacts in East Asian history, serving as key instruments in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. The printing process involves brushing ink onto the carved surface, pressing a sheet of paper onto it, and rubbing it with a printing pad or brush to transfer the inked negative impression. Korea has a long and distinguished history of woodblock printing, with remarkable achievements such as the Tripitaka Koreana (13th century). Nevertheless, only a few original woodblocks have survived, as they were vulnerable to wear, war, and environmental decay. Extant examples, extremely rare outside of Korea, are especially valuable for understanding early modern printing culture, scholarly networks, and book history.
Hunchiyang sŏnsaeng munjip, published in 1706 (King Sukchong 32), is a monumental collected works of two brothers, Chŏng Man-yang 鄭萬陽 (1664-1730) and Chŏng Gwi-yang 鄭葵陽 (1667-1732). The title references the hun and chi, two harmonizing ancient Chinese wind instruments, symbolizing the brothers’ deep fraternal affection — a metaphor drawn from the Confucian classic the Shijing (Book of Odes). Often likened to the celebrated Cheng brothers of Song China (920-1279), the Korean Chŏng brothers embodied the ideal of harmony in both familial and scholarly life. They declined official appointments in favor of nurturing their community, educating later generations, and preserving scholarly and ceremonial traditions.
The complete collection comprises 30 kwŏn in 16 volumes and includes more than 700 poems, 300 chronological letters, assorted essays, a family genealogy, and rare musical diagrams and scores for the hun and chi — an exceptional feature that illuminates musicological practices among the 18th-century Chosŏn literati. Our woodblock contains the 17th and 18th leaves of the 30th kwŏn.
The block is in near-perfect condition. We believe that the handles and affixed ornamental metalwork were added later so the woodblock could be hung as a decorative item. Original woodblocks are exceedingly difficult to find outside Korea, and no institutional holding of even the printed edition from this block is known outside the country. Many of the surviving woodblocks are preserved at the Academy of Korean Studies in Seoul.
Details
Title
Carved on both sides, with later wooden handles & nicely engraved protective metalwork & two rings on each handle, containing parts of Hunchiyang sŏnsaeng munjip 塤篪兩先生文集 [The Collected Works of Two Masters, Hun & Chi], by Chŏng Man-yang 鄭萬陽 & Chŏng Gwi-yang 鄭葵陽, carved with classical Chinese text
Author
WOODBLOCK, Korean
Condition
Unknown