• Journal of architectural history
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.57-70
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• 2022

The Joseon royal family considered the act of burying the placenta very important for various reasons. Accordingly, they developed their own ritual culture of burying the placenta based on the geomancy(Pungsu). In 1661, The King Sukjong's placenta chamber was built in Gong-ju, and later stone objects were added in 1683. Since its establishment, the King Sukjong's placenta chamer have been continuously managed by the Joseon royal family, but During the Japanese colonial period, the placenta chamber was partially destroyed, and now only some stone objects remain in the original site. This study aims to estimate the original style and structure of King Sukjong's placenta chamber by focusing on the stone objects which were discovered through recent field surveys. In addition to that, the stylistic review of Joseon Dynasty's royal placenta chamber was conducted to secure a literary data basis and acquired data were comprehensively analyzed. As a result, Some of the original style and structure of King Sukjong's placenta chamber could be confirmed. The results of this study are expected to help restore the authenticity of the royal placenta chamber damaged in japanese colonial period, and are expected to be a good example in the research methodology of historical evidence of other damaged royal placenta chambers.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.6-20
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• 2023

The World Heritage Subcommittee of the Cultural Heritage Administration which examine The World Heritage Subcommittee of the Cultural Heritage Administration which The World Heri The World Heritage Subcommittee of the Cultural Heritage Administration which examined the Placenta Chamber of King Sejong's Princes applied for the world heritage priority list in 2020 recommended expanding it to the royal placenta chambers of Joseon distributed nationwide for successive registration instead of registering the Seongju placenta chamber only. On account of that, the issue of selecting items has become one of the important topics to be discussed in the registration of world heritages. Accordingly, this researcher investigated the subjects of successive registration based on such conditions as excellent universal value, heritage protection and management, authenticity, and completeness among the real estate cultural properties demanded by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. First, 22 placenta chambers, the real estate cultural properties designated as cultural properties and protected and managed by the state and local governments, are subject to it. Second, it seems that placenta chambers that can be restored through research and historical investigation and become designated as cultural properties can additionally be added. Third, items such as the Seosamneung Royal Tombs built by Lee Wang-jik in the Japanese colonial era or Seongjong Placenta Chamber relocated as an example to realize the completeness of Joseon's Royal Placenta Chambers can be included as well. Meanwhile, many of the items designated as cultural properties are not in the original location, and they can be divided into those that were relocated for the intentions of the Japanese Empire and those that were not. Therefore, the researcher insists that it is necessary to select and add items with which we can understand the historicity in the relocation of placenta chambers during the Japanese colonial era and also to quickly designate those that have not been designated as cultural properties yet. Therefore, regardless of designation as cultural heritage, local governments must promote both restoration and designation and strive to include them in the list of successive registration of world heritages grounded on thorough historical investigation. Moreover, to add them to the list of successive registration of world heritages, the Cultural Heritage Administration and local governments should promote continuous research and genuine restoration of individual placenta chambers.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.77-88
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• 2017

Ordinary people generally bury or burn placenta when the baby was born. But, Joseon royal family put placenta in pot and then buried it in propitious site praying for good health and long life. After that baby had become the king of Joseon, people built stone figures formed fixed type at that place. It is called gabong-taesil(加封胎室). The purpose of this study is to figure out the type and characteristics of the King Taejo's taesil in Joseon Dynasty. The King Taejo's taesil had built first as soon as Joseon was established circa 1393, and repaired largely in 1689. Since then, this was damaged by the Japanese Empire and assembled in recent days at near place from the original place. Center piece of taesil remains the original form, and the rest of stone figures is assumed to be rebuilt in 1689. But, some materials like sangseok(裳石) and jeonseok(磚石) are assumed that are original stone figures or were made, assembled by the style of then. Considering most of remained taesil is a relic of the latter part of Joseon Dynasty, the King Taejo' taesil has high cultural value as the first gabong-taesil of Joseon Dynasty inheriting Goryeo Dynasty type.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.70-85
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• 2016

This study is to search for the significance of Taesil (Placenta Chamber) of royal family in the light of local history by examining the background that Yecheon area had been selected as building site of Taesil of Joseon and Goryeo dynasties and local correlation. In this study, Taesil in Yecheon area was formed at the area between Mt. Sobaek and Geumdangsil village which was promoted with the support of the royal family and given the responsibility of preserving Taesil as soon as Taeju (Owner of Placenta) was enthroned. It is because the formation of Taesil of royal family was an important event in the region, which strengthened the status of the region with the enthronement of Taeju. As shown in the case of Deposed Queen Lady Yun, Taesil of royal family was selected in accordance with the birthplace of Taeju and the relationship between the relevant area and royal family. Also as in the Case of King Jeongjo, this study says that the selection of Taesil site could be considered as the object of filial piety.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.192-211
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• 2021

In Seongju, Gyengsangbuk-do, the Placenta Chamber (胎室, Taesil) of 18 sons and a son of the crown prince of King Sejong(世宗大王) is located in one place. Taesil refers to the place where the umbilical cord and placenta, which are separated when the baby is born, are placed in a jar made of pottery and stone box and then buried on the ground. The placenta chamber in Seongju has the Buncheong ware (粉靑沙器) cover buried on the ground to protect the baby's placenta. These covers are all hemispherical, with a diameter of more the 20cm. The decorations were made using black and white inlaid techniques only on the outside. The Buncheong ware cover with this shape and pattern has been confirmed only in the placenta chamber in Seongju. This study targets 6 of the Buncheong ware cover whose owners were identified, when and where they were prepared, what the stylistic features and meanings are, and where it was produced. The results of the study are as follows. First, ss a result of reviewing the production background and procurement system of this bowl, it was inferred that it was sourced from Jangheunggo (長興庫) at the central government office, between 1436 and 1439, when the event to bury the placenta of royal members in the ground was the most active. Second, it analyzed the unique features of this cover, such as the shape, pattern, and baked traces. The shape and pattern were compared to the ritual objects contained in the Sejong Silok Oryeui (『世宗實錄』 「五禮」, Five Rites of King Sejong Chronicle) and the lid of the royal placenta jar made in the 15th and 16th centuries. Third, this study suggests that the baking method was based on the shape and location of the traces remaining outside the cover. Finally, the following data were used to estimate the production site: the relationship with the 'Jagiso (磁器所, ceramic workshop) registered in the Sejong Silok Jiriji (『世宗實錄』 「地理志」, Geographical Appendix of King Sejong Chronicle); various records of contribution and dedication about the Buncheong ware made here; and the Buncheong ware and related tools excavated from the kiln site in the area. The place where the Buncheong ware cover was produced is estimated to be the most likely production site for the kiln site in Chunghyo-dong Kiln Site, located in Jeolla-do province by synthesizing the data above.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.208-241
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• 2010

This study was conducted to examine the chronology of Taesil Seokham(Taesil Stone Boxes) stored in Taesil of the Joseon Palace and classify the styles to discuss how these boxes have developed. By doing so, this study defined the archaeological styles of taesil seokhams in the chronological order. Although taesil seokhams are placed when taesil are first created, they do not have any texts engraved on them and it is difficult to gain information only from examining taesil seokham. However, Taejiseok(memorial stones buried in Taesil) and Agibi(gravestones buried in Taesil) were created along with taesil. These resources were examined and compared with literature records to find when each taesil seokhams was created. The critical elements to consider for the chronological arrangement were both the cover and container of the boxes and the transition of their style could be classified into four major stages. In detail, the Joseon Dynasty's taesil seokhams initially inherited the style of the Goryeo Dynasty to be formed into rectangular boxes. Through the transition of the mid and late 15th Century, the semi-circular cover with cylindrical container became the popular style in the late 15th Century. In the late 16th Century, the style of the previous period was further developed to add some decorative elements, such as projecting ornaments, but the ornaments were added for functional purposes rather than artistic purposes. However, the style went back to the semi-circular cover with cylindrical container in the early 17th Century. From the mid 17th Century, various styles appeared with ornaments only on the cover, cone-shaped cover with no ornament, or mortar-like container. However, a new style of cone-shaped cover with ornament emerged between the early and mid 18th Century and continued to stay until the mid 18th Century. In the mid 18th Century, the cover remained unchanged, but the container became a keyhole-shaped space with one side forming a "ㄷ" shape. However, in the late 18th Century, the most typical style of the semi-circular cover with cylindrical container reappeared to show that this is the most universal style. Last, in the mid 19th Century, the cover changed from semi-circular to rectangular with flat top. After this, the taesil seokhams began to disappear. In terms of style, it can be classified into four stages. In the early Joseon Dynasty, the taesil seokhams were underdeveloped and inherited the style of the Goryeo Dynasty (Stage I; 1401~mid-15C), but Joseon's unique style began to develop from the late 15th Century (Stage II; 1477~1641). After that, partial ornaments were added for adornment (Stage III; 1660~1754), but the typical style reappeared in the late 18th Century to finally degrade in the late Joseon Dynasty of the mid 19th Century (Stage IV; 1790~1874). This arrangement of style and chronology would greatly help archaeologists anticipate the time and owner of taesil seokhams even if only taesil seokhams are discovered without any records. * Tae(胎) : Placenta and umbilical cord * Taesil(胎室) : A facility(chamber) of burying Tae(胎) in rite when royal descendants are born.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.76-101
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• 2013

In this article, we examine the Taeshil of King Jungjo, the 22nd King of the Joseon dynasty located in Yongwol, Gangwondo. The Jangtae culture - burial of the navel cord - is a unique Royal ritual which began during the Shilla dynasty and continued to be carried out for a long period until the Koryo and Joseon dynasties. Until today, about 300 Taebong sites have been discovered, most of which are the Taebong of the decedents of the royal family of the Joseon Kingdom. Most Taeshils built for Kings of the Joseon dynasty were destroyed during the Japanese colonial period, among which only a few have been recovered and managed across the nation. The Taeshil of King Jungjo is one of the leading examples among existing Taeshils in Korea which has managed to preserve well enshrined relics as well as literature documents including stone relics in perfect sets. Thus, in order to examine the Taeshil of King Jungjo comprehensively, first of all literary materials related to the construction of King Jungjo's Taeshil such as the Josunwangjosilrok - "Annals of the Choson Dynasty (朝鮮王朝實錄)". "Jungjongdaewang Taesilgabong Euigwe (正宗大王胎室加封儀軌) - Royal activities related to Taeshil, and local historic documents etc were searched and put together, while a focus was placed on examining the geographical location and state of the Taebong, including the specific style of each part of the Taeshil stone and characteristics of enshrined relics. Such materials are believed to have important utility in the future as a basic material to be used for research, maintenance, and restoration of Taeshil relics. So far, Taeshil relics is a field that has not been able to attract much attention from the academic world, however attention has begun to be paid to Taeshil relics due to recent archaeological excavations as well as an approach to artistic history. Academic research results are expected if Taeshil relics are able to be examined comprehensively in future covering various areas such as literature history, archaeology, and artistic history etc.