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Memory of the World

Memory of the World- Republic of Korea
Royal Seal and Investiture Book Collection of the Joseon Dynasty

The seals and books were bestowed to the kings and queens, commemorating their important lifetime occasions and ceremonies such as investitures and inauguration of official titles. The different names and titles invested to the king and queen were engraved into the seals, starting from the commencement as crown heir and even after the deaths of the bearer, composing an archive for both the individual and for the royal lineage as a whole. The investiture books and royal edicts are accompaniments to the seals providing description and justification of the names and ceremonial occasions.


The royal seals are symbolic and ceremonial, signifying sacredness of the royal authority. Such practice of creating ceremonial seals is distinct from other cultures, which produce seals for the practical use in daily life for certification.


These objects symbolize the eternal perpetuity of the royal dynasty. They ensure the legitimacy of the king’s reign during his lifetime, and assure his timeless authority after death being kept in the royal ancestral shrine, thus contributing to the stability of the state. They demonstrate a unique political function and uphold sacredness of the royal family by connecting the living and the dead, displaying the cultural tradition and philosophy which prevailed in East Asia.

The seals and books were produced from the beginning of Joseon until the very end, coming down to the modern era for approximately 570 years. It is the only extant case of continuously producing and enshrining seals and books for such a long period. The preservation of the seals and books as a full collection adds to the documentary value of these items as an archive.

 


조선왕릉 어보와 어책