A mirror into life and death Epitaphs of Joseon Kingdom
By Shim Hyun-chul
No life is immortal — every encounter results in a parting and death is the final farewell with no reversal. After death, only sorrow and remorse is left.
The National Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition “A Mirror into Life and Death: Epitaphs of the Joseon Kingdom” through April 17.
The exhibition is divided into two sections. The first part explains the history of epitaphs and the process of making them while the second tells the story of epitaphs and the tombs they guarded.
Some of the 150 epitaphs on display resonate with the past lives of Joseon people ranging from lofty kings to lowly common people.
At this special exhibition the epitaph of Prince Yeongchang (1606-1614) is on view for the first time. He is remembered as a young prince who led a life full of misfortune and was cruelly put to death by his stepbrother.
Among the other royal epitaphs, King Yeongjo wrote his son Crown Prince Sado’s epitaph himself.
Epitaphs marking the deaths of ordinary citizens are much humbler. One on display on a brick says “I am sad, I am suffering...”
The exhibition offers a chance to understand the culture and the aspect of death during the Joseon Kingdom from a unique perspective.