• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.136-146
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• 2023

Biological materials, such as stuffed specimens, can release various acids or volatiles. There has been no research carried out on the emission characteristics of organic compounds generated from the preservatives used in taxidermy specimens or associated manufacturing materials and methods. Therefore, in order to identify the organic compounds generated from taxidermy specimens, a degradation experiment was conducted on specimens for each material and for storage specimens. To produce Ogye chicken specimens, naphthalene and borax were used as preservatives, and planer sawdust, newspaper, and polystyrene foam were used as the core body materials. The deterioration experiment was conducted for 2 weeks in a high-temperature environment(50℃) and a high-humidity environment (95%), with an Ogye chicken specimen (year 2015) kept in an animal storage facility. Results indicated that the concentration of organic compounds generated by the specimen in the high-temperature environment tended to be greater than that in the high-humidity environment. The preservatives benzene, toluene, xylene, and p-dichlorobenzene were detected in the specimens using naphthalene, confirming that naphthalene is a major organic compound release factor, and the specimens that used sawdust, newspaper, and polystyrene foam also exhibited organic compounds. This appears to have been due to degradation of the material. In addition, ammonia was detected in the specimens for each material due to decay. In particular, the specimens using borax at high temperature were subject to approximately 9 times higher rates of ammonia-related deterioration than the specimens using naphthalene. These results can be considered to result from the prevention of biological damage through insecticidal effects by accelerating the sublimation of naphthalene in a high-temperature environment. Naphthalene is a potentially carcinogenic substance, and when used as a preservative, proper use management is required. Taxidermy specimens can release various organic compounds depending on the manufacturing techniques used, so a systematic preservation management plan is required that depends on conditions such as the applicable manufacturing materials and preservatives.

• Bangmulgwan gwa yeongu (The National Museum of Korea Journal)
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• v.1
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• pp.306-329
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• 2024

Established in 1909, the Imperial Museum was the forerunner of Korean museums, and its collection formed the foundation of today's National Museum of Korea. However, when the Imperial Museum was first established in Changgyeonggung Palace, a zoo and botanical garden were created in addition to the museum. From 1911 onward, these three facilities were collectively referred to as Changgyeongwon Park. The zoo and botanical garden remained at Changgyeongwon when the museum was relocated in 1938, as did some of the items from the collection of the Yi Royal Household Museum. Among them were palanquins used by the royal family and folk items such as armor, as well as taxidermized birds. These stuffed birds were displayed in the corridor of Myeongjeongjeon Hall in Changgyeongwon, and were also displayed in the specimen hall at the back of Myeongjeongjeon Hall. The stuffed birds in particular should prompt a reconsideration of the nature of the Imperial Museum (Yi Royal Household Museum). The museum had been known as a prominent art museum, mainly collecting masterpieces of ceramics (such as Goryeo celadon), Buddhist sculptures, and paintings. However, this character seems to have been just one aspect of the museum. Along with the zoo, which housed live animals, and the botanical garden, which included greenhouses for tropical plants, the museum also featured specimens like taxidermy, suggesting that its initial aim, from a museological perspective, was to be a more comprehensive museum. Notably, Shimogoriyama Seiichi, who managed the general affairs of the museum, collected and cataloged Korean avian specimens from 1908 to 1917. This suggests that the zoo and botanical garden were not merely for entertainment purposes, but also served a museological purpose. However, the Imperial Museum (Yi Royal Household Museum) lacked the essential research and educational functions necessary for a museum, beyond its collecting and exhibition roles. For instance, although specimens of stuffed Korean birds were collected, they were not thoroughly researched. This indicates that while the museum's collection was acquired from a museological perspective, it did not advance into more specialized research. This study aims to examine how the characteristics of the Yi Royal Household Museum have evolved by analyzing the inventory of the museum's collections and the list of Korean bird specimens it held.