• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.62-78
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• 2023

The act of burning incense originated from Buddhist rituals and customs, and gradually formed its own culture. In the Goryeo Dynasty, in addition to religious and national rituals, incense came to be enjoyed more generally and widely. In particular, Goryeo literati enjoyed the elegant lifestyle of staying home and burning incense. This was part of a regional culture shared across East Asia. Such incense burning applied the same methods as were used during the same period in China. In collections of writings from the Goryeo Dynasty, it can be seen that incense methods such as gyeok-hwa-hoon-hyang (隔火熏香) and jeon-hyang (篆香) were used. A particular method of incense influenced the size and shape of the incense burner utilized. Small incense burners suitable for simple everyday incense were used, such as the hyangwan (香垸), a cup (wine glass)-shaped burner. White porcelain incense burners from Song were discovered in Gaegyeong, and celadon incense burners from Goryeo were made in the same shape. This phenomenon shows that there was great demand for ceramic incense burners in Goryeo in the 12th and 13th centuries. During this period, incense burners that imitated metalware were produced, and some applied the techniques and patterns of Goryeo celadon. The Goryeo Dynasty-era incense burner was basically a necessity for use in various rituals, but gradually came to be widely used also by individuals.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.37
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• pp.371-405
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• 2004

International circulation of cultural assets involves numerous countries thereby making an approach based on international law essential to resolving this problem. Since the end of the $2^{nd}$ World War, as the value of cultural assets evolved from material value to moral and ethical values, with emphasis on establishing national identities, newly independent nations and former colonial states took issue with ownership of cultural assets which led to the need for international cooperation and statutory provisions for the return of cultural assets. UNESCO's 1954 "Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict" as preparatory measures for the protection of cultural assets, the 1970 "Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property" to regulate transfer of cultural assets, and the 1995 "Unidroit Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects" which required the return of illegally acquired cultural property are examples of international agreements established on illegal transfers of cultural assets. In addition, the UN agency UNESCO established the Division of Cultural Heritage to oversee cultural assets related matters, and the UN since its 1973 resolution 3187, has continued to demonstrate interest in protection of cultural assets. The resolution 3187 affirms the return of cultural assets to the country of origin, advises on preventing illegal transfers of works of art and cultural assets, advises cataloguing cultural assets within the respective countries and, conclusively, recommends becoming a member of UNESCO, composing a forum for international cooperation. Differences in defining cultural assets pose a limitation on international agreements. While the 1954 Convention states that cultural assets are not limited to movable property and includes immovable property, the 1970 Convention's objective of 'Prohibiting and preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property' effectively limits the subject to tangible movable cultural property. The 1995 Convention also has tangible movable cultural property as its subject. On this point, the two conventions demonstrate distinction from the 1954 Convention and the 1972 Convention that focuses on immovable cultural property and natural property. The disparity in defining cultural property is due to the object and purpose of the convention and does not reflect an inherent divergence. In the case of Korea, beginning with the 1866 French invasion, 36 years of Japanese colonial rule, military rule and period of economic development caused outflow of numerous cultural assets to foreign countries. Of course, it is neither possible nor necessary to have all of these cultural properties returned, but among those that have significant value in establishing cultural and historical identity or those that have been taken symbolically as a demonstration of occupational rule can cause issues in their return. In these cases, the 1954 Convention and the ratification of the first legislation must be actively considered. In the return of cultural property, if the illicit acquisition is the core issue, it is a simple matter of following the international accords, while if it rises to the level of diplomatic discussions, it will become a political issue. In that case, the country requesting the return must convince the counterpart country. Realizing a response to the earnest need for preventing illicit trading of cultural assets will require extensive national and civic societal efforts in the East Asian area to overcome its current deficiencies. The most effective way to prevent illicit trading of cultural property is rapid circulation of information between Interpol member countries, which will require development of an internet based communication system as well as more effective deployment of legislation to prevent trading of illicitly acquired cultural property, subscription to international conventions and cataloguing collections.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.142-153
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• 2019

The Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) left behind a wealth of documentary heritage, including collections of literary works, personal letters, and journals, as well as public documents such as Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty (Joseon Wangjo Sillok), Diaries of the Royal Secretariat (Seungjeongwon Ilgi), and State Protocols (Uigwe). Such heritage also includes personal diaries that have been highly regarded for their frank and vivid records of people's lives in the Joseon period. There have been great diaries published and intended for reading by the Korean public, including War Diaries (Nanjung Ilgi, 1592~1598) by Yi Sun-sin and Diaries of Jehol (Yeolha Ilgi, 1780) by Park Ji-won. Unfortunately, a great majority of these personal records remain unknown to the world. Such great records have not been given an opportunity to be documented properly, but are left outside public attention, abandoned to be damaged and destroyed. Few personal diaries of the Joseon period were written on good-quality paper. After the death of their authors, these diaries were left to be kept by their descendants; this explains why many of these records have been in poor condition, particularly when compared with the public records published by the government of Joseon, such as Sillok and Uigwe, even when these were lucky enough to be taken care of by the authors' descendants. Even after surviving a long time, many of these personal records remain in the form of manuscripts, written in semi-cursive and cursive scripts of Chinese characters, thus making it even more difficult for the people of the current generation -- most of whom have not been given an opportunity to learn Chinese characters at school -- to take care of their documentary heritage properly. Meanwhile, it is also true that, as the value of the public records published by the government of Joseon as historical materials has grown, they are used more often as content for TV dramas such as Daejanggeum. At the same time, there have been increasingly louder voices citing the need for the study, preservation, and management of the personal diaries from Joseon. Considering the situation, this study provides a general overview of the personal diaries of Joseon as recently surveyed by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, as well as their characteristic features, subjects, and backgrounds. This study is expected to contribute to future research on the preservation and management of the personal diaries of Joseon.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.167-188
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• 2021

National libraries have a responsibility to intensively develop, preserve, and provide national collections, which are the knowledge and cultural heritage of a country. In particular, in order to achieve 'advancing the base for access and preservation of national knowledge resources' among the four goals to fulfill the mission of the National Library of Korea, it is necessary to strengthen the national knowledge resources by expanding the external scope to not only domestic materials but also foreign materials. In other words, The National Knowledge Information Center collects the latest and retroactive data produced in Korea, as well as high-quality academic materials produced, distributed, and preserved in foreign countries as well as materials related to Korea. This study drew implications by investigating and analyzing the status of foreign collection and services of national libraries in developed countries. Based on this, the purpose of this study is to compare and evaluate the current level of collection of foreign collections of the National Library of Korea, and then present a strategy to secure high-quality academic and foreign materials related to Korea.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.258-267
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• 2014

We present the dendrochronological dates of Korean wooden furnitures in National Museum of Korea. Six of fourteen were successfully dated. Rice Chest (구 2225) was dated A.D. 1805 +. Others dated were Rice Chest (신수 9479; A.D. 1819), Rice Chest (신수 9475; A.D. $1826{\pm}10$), Ganghwa-Chest with a flap door (구 2341; A.D. $1842{\pm}10$), Ganghwa-Chest with a flap door (구 3124; A.D. $1859{\pm}10$), Chest with a flap door (신수 15731; A.D. $1865{\pm}10$). Most of existing cabinets were made in 1800s. Rice Chest (신수 9479) was the earliest piece of furniture in the collections of National Museum. The furniture is usually composed one species. The major species was Pinus densiflora.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2019

This paper provides quantitative data that describes the evolution of the air quality in the Whale and Sea Museum, located in the Iwate prefecture, collected after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. The museum was damaged significantly by the disaster, and restoration works continued for over six years. The air quality in the temporary storage facility and museum was monitored during the rehabilitation process. Evaluation of air quality is carried out by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry, ion chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that the characteristics of the chemical components differed depending on the measurement locations inside the building. The museum atmosphere tended to be alkaline as the airtightness increased because of the maintenance works at the entrance. It was also determined that it was necessary to study the intake/exhaust routes and to clean them according to the contamination degree. In Japan, there are recommended museum air quality standards for acetic acid, formic acid, alkali, and aldehydes. The results indicated that these standards should not be used as a reference for damaged museums. Furthermore, at the temporary storage facilities for to store the collections during the rehabilitation of the museum, solvents such as ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylene are initially abundant, although they can be reduced by ventilation, while other components such as 2E1H was confirmed in this case are likely to remain.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.198-216
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• 2024

This article reevaluates the National Museum of Korea's pivotal actions during the Korean War in the 1950s and its aftermath. It argues that the evacuation of the museum's collection to Busan and the subsequent exhibition "Masterpieces of Korean Art" in the United States in 1957 were not isolated events, but rather interconnected facets of a larger narrative shaping the museum's trajectory. With newly discovered archival evidence, this study unravels the intricate relationship between these episodes, revealing how the initial Busan evacuation evolved into a strategic U.S.-led touring exhibition. Traditionally, the Busan evacuation has been understood solely as a four-stage relocation of the museum's collections between December 1950 and May 1951. However, this overlooks the broader context, particularly the subsequent U.S. journey. Driven by the war's initial retreat of the war, the Busan evacuation served as a stepping stone for evacuation to Honolulu Museum of Art. The path of evacuation took an unexpected turn when the government redirected the collections to the Honolulu Museum of Art. Initially conceived as a storage solution, public opposition led to a remarkable transformation: the U.S. exhibition. To address public concerns, the evacuation plan was canceled. This shift transformed the planned introduction into a full-fledged traveling exhibition. Subsequently approved by the National Assembly, the U.S. Department of State spearheaded development of the exhibition, marking a distinct strategic cultural policy shift for Korea. Therefore, the Busan evacuation, initially envisioned as a temporary introduction to the U.S., ultimately metamorphosed into a multi-stage U.S. touring exhibition orchestrated by the U.S. Department of State. This reframed narrative sheds new light on the museum's crucial role in navigating a complex postwar landscape, revealing the intricate interplay between cultural preservation, public diplomacy, and strategic national interests.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.257-264
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• 2012

Ancient mirrors are generally made of bronze, and it is very rare to find cases of iron mirrors excavated domestically. In this study, the unidentified ferrous artifact was treated for conservation, and was identified as a mirror. In this process, the sample was taken and analyzed for microstructure, and the manufacturing technology was studied. Analysis involved optical microscope, micro-hardness tester, and SEM-EDS. As the result of analysis, iron mirror structure exist not almost non-metallic inclusions, and partially network cementite was observed. This appears to have been caused by reduced carbon content due to decarburizing the cast iron in the solid state mirror which was created by cast iron. The ledeburite structure of the casting has difficult to cut or polish because has great hardness by high carbon content. Thus, the cast iron mirror was decarburized at a temperature under $850^{\circ}C$ with CO or $CO_2$ blocked, which reduced the hardness of the iron mirror and made it possible to polish the mirror surface. This deformation of structure according to carbon content results from such manufacturing technology.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.84-94
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• 2012

We present the species and the dendrochronological dates of Korean traditional furniture in Forest Museum Collection of Korea National Arboretum. Seven of thirteen were successfully dated. Chest with a flap door (84-55-1) was dated A. D. 1623. Others dated were cabinet (83-41-1: A. D. 1759), Chest with a turnover door (83-39-1; A. D. 1801), Cabinet with two horizontal section (88-39; A. D. 1843), Rice chest (82-27-3; A. D. 1849), Cabinet with two horizontal section (83-40-2; A. D. 1877), Chest with a flap door (84-50; A. D. 1918). Most of existing cabinets were made in 1800s. The 84-55-1 chest was one of the earliest pieces of furniture in the collections of Korea museums. The furniture is usually composed one species. The major species was Pinus densiflora. Bedside cabinet (83-41-1) and Cabinet with two horizontal section (88-39) were made from Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis). Becasue they were dated by the tree-ring chronology of Mt. Bekdu, the timber of their boards could be from the area of Mt. Bekdu.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.235-251
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• 2011

The aim of this article is to outline the history and importance of the Korean rare books in Coll$\grave{e}$ge de France. With this purpose in mind, the historical background and the process of how these books came to Coll$\grave{e}$ge de France were studied through cataloguing the list, and then analyzing them by subject, printing type, and timeline. We examined the relationship between the private collections of Maurice Courant(1865-1935) and the Korean rare books held in Coll$\grave{e}$ge de France. The Bibliographie Cor$\acute{e}$enne written by Maurice Courant is the most important reference book for studying the publication of the late Joseon dynasty and finding the whereabouts of the Korean books in France. Also, we tried to figure out the best way to implement and make use of a bibliographic database, and contribute to the exploration and study of Korean Cultural Heritage scattered outside Korea.