This calligraphy is an autograph of An Jung-geun (1879-1910). An Jung-geun was born in 1879, in Haeju, Hwanghae-do. In 1894, when he was sixteen years of age, he joined his father who set out to crush the Donghak rebel army, leading Sanpogun, on the request of the Province governor. In 1906, he founded Samheung School and also took over an existing school (Donui hakgyo), devoting much of his time to managing these schools. Later when he entered into armed struggle against the occupying Japanese, An Jung-geun launched attacks on Japanese reconnaissance squadrons. On October 26, 1909 when the train carrying Ito Hirobumi arrived at the Harbin Station, An Jung-geun shot him three times, as he was walking away from a group of Russian army officials he just finished inspecting, killing him. An Jung-geun was incarcerated in Lushun Prison and was executed on March 26, 1910. The ten-character text, ‘Eonchungsinhaengdokgyeong manbanggahaeng’ written in large characters at the center, states: ‘A man whose words are trustworthy, and actions pious can even go to the land of barbarians.’ The date, place and the name are written, in this order, on the left edge, followed by an ink-printed palm mark. The sheet, measuring 34.1㎝ by 137.0, was made by joining together four smaller sheets. The palm mark shows distinctly An Jung-geun’s finger prints. This calligraphy, made during An Jung-geun’s stay in Lushun Prison, was kept by a Japanese policeman who worked there and was later donated to the An Jung-geun Commemoration Society by the latter’s grandson (Yagima Sazumi) in October 2002.