Bohwagak Art Museum and Passionate Collection
- 홈
- About Kansong
- Life
- Bohwagak Art Museum and Passionate Collection
- Lineage and Family Environment
- Grief over National Ruin and Introspection
- Hannamseorim Bookstore and Bukdanjang Art Institute
- Bohwagak Art Museum and Passionate Collection
- Posung Middle School and Hunminjeongeum
- The Korean War
- Cultural Properties Committee and the Art & Archaeology Magazine
While Kansong was immersed in his mission, the Japanese colonialists promulgated the so-called “Decree on the Probation of Political Offenders of Joseon” in December 1936. Under the auspices of this decree, the Japanese authorities indiscriminately arrested and imprisoned Korean leaders committed to restoring the independence of Korea. In a further attempt to eradicate Korean culture, Japan began enforcing the exclusive use of the Japanese language in February 1937. On July 7, Japan instigated the Lugou Bridge Incident, which rapidly escalated into a full-scale war with China.
From Japan’s frenzied maneuvers, intellectuals inferred that Japan’s ambitions extended beyond the conquest of China. They anticipated Japan engaging in warfare with the United Kingdom or the United States, only to face defeat and ruin. Apparently, these portents were more evident to British and American expatriates in Japan. Amidst the exodus of Westerners from Japan, Kansong encountered an unexpected stroke of fortune.
A British lawyer named Sir John Gadsby, who had resided in Tokyo for decades and amassed a collection of only the finest Goryeo celadon pieces, entrusted his entire celadon collection—one of the world’s most prestigious—to Kansong in February 1937, prior to his return to the United Kingdom. The acquisition of the Gadsby collection, which included such treasures as the Celadon Incense Burner with Girin-shaped Lid (National Treasure), Celadon Kundika with Inlaid Lotus Pond and Mandarin Duck Design (National Treasure), Duck-shaped Celadon Water Dropper (National Treasure), Celadon Water Dropper in the Shape of Mother Monkey with Baby (National Treasure), Celadon Prunus Vase with Inlaid Grapes and Boys Design (Treasure), Celadon Lidded Boxes in a Circular Box with Inlaid Chrysanthemum and Peony Scroll Design (Treasure No. 349), White Porcelain Incense Burner in the Shape of Manifold Mountains (Treasure), Celadon Lidded Incense Burner in the Shape of Mandarin Duck, and diverse other plates, bowls, oil bottles, incense containers, and wine and tea cups, elevated the quality of Kansong’s collection to world-class status.
From Japan’s frenzied maneuvers, intellectuals inferred that Japan’s ambitions extended beyond the conquest of China. They anticipated Japan engaging in warfare with the United Kingdom or the United States, only to face defeat and ruin. Apparently, these portents were more evident to British and American expatriates in Japan. Amidst the exodus of Westerners from Japan, Kansong encountered an unexpected stroke of fortune.
A British lawyer named Sir John Gadsby, who had resided in Tokyo for decades and amassed a collection of only the finest Goryeo celadon pieces, entrusted his entire celadon collection—one of the world’s most prestigious—to Kansong in February 1937, prior to his return to the United Kingdom. The acquisition of the Gadsby collection, which included such treasures as the Celadon Incense Burner with Girin-shaped Lid (National Treasure), Celadon Kundika with Inlaid Lotus Pond and Mandarin Duck Design (National Treasure), Duck-shaped Celadon Water Dropper (National Treasure), Celadon Water Dropper in the Shape of Mother Monkey with Baby (National Treasure), Celadon Prunus Vase with Inlaid Grapes and Boys Design (Treasure), Celadon Lidded Boxes in a Circular Box with Inlaid Chrysanthemum and Peony Scroll Design (Treasure No. 349), White Porcelain Incense Burner in the Shape of Manifold Mountains (Treasure), Celadon Lidded Incense Burner in the Shape of Mandarin Duck, and diverse other plates, bowls, oil bottles, incense containers, and wine and tea cups, elevated the quality of Kansong’s collection to world-class status.
Celadon Incense Burner with Girin-shaped Lid, 12th century
Duck-shaped Celadon Water Dropper, 12th century
Celadon Water Dropper in the Shape of Mother Monkey with Baby, middle of the 12th century
Celadon Kundika with Inlaid Lotus Pond and Mandarin Duck Design, late of the 12th centuryAccording to related auction brochures and Kansong’s aide-memoires, the Celadon Water Dropper in the Shape of Mother Monkey with Baby had previously been owned by Hayashi Konske, who had coerced Emperor Gojong into signing the Eulsa Treaty in 1905 as Japan’s Minister Plenipotentiary to Korea. The previous owner of the Celadon Incense Burner with Kirin-shaped Lid was a Japanese prosecutor at Gyeongseong High Court named Ayukai Fusanoshin. Sir John Gadsby had acquired the Celadon Kundika with Inlaid Lotus Pond and Mandarin Duck Design and White Porcelain Mountain-shaped Incense Burner from Yokoda Koro, a renowned Japanese collector of Goryeo celadon.
While Kansong had diligently collected Korean paintings and calligraphic works for years, the addition of Gadsby’s impressive array of Goryeo celadon pieces rendered Kansong’s collection unrivaled in both quality and quantity. Kansong, at the age of 32, had achieved such a significant milestone at an age when most individuals were only beginning to chart their life’s course. How could such a miraculous feat have been accomplished were it not for the grace of Heaven, which sought to ensure the perpetuation of Korea’s cultural legacy? To realize this miracle, Kansong invested almost all the earnings from his family fortune. Indeed, Kansong was compelled to divest his extensive farmland holdings in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, to acquire the Gadsby collection.
At the Gyeongseong Art Club auction on March 28, Kansong acquired Cock and Hen with Chicks in Tow by Byeon Sangbyeok (1730-?, pen name Hwajae), a late Joseon-period painter renowned for his meticulous brushwork. This piece, one of the most celebrated works by the artist known for his precise depictions of animals, particularly chickens, had previously been in the possession of Lee Byeongjik (pen name Songeun), a distinguished collector with a discerning eye for art.
Undeterred by his successes, Kansong intensified his efforts to secure top-tier artworks and artifacts of Korea. In the summer, he procured a pair of juxtaposed calligraphic works in the clerical script style by Chusa, featuring two seven-character phrases: “The greatest dishes are beancurd, cucumbers, and wild vegetables” and “The noblest get-togethers are those of parents, children, and grandchildren.” This work, marking the culmination of Chusa’s calligraphic career, is regarded as his magnum opus. Kansong solicited Oh Sechang to compose a foreword for the piece, to which Oh Sechang obliged, writing, “This calligraphic work of Chusa is hereby certified as authentic by Oh Sechang, a follower of Chusa, on Chobok of 1937.”
On July 7 of the same year, Japan fabricated charges against China in the Lugou Bridge Incident and declared all-out war. Japan began exploiting Joseon as a military supply base. In February 1938, the Japanese Army initiated the so-called “Voluntary Enlistment Program for Joseon Men,” under which young Joseon men were forcibly conscripted to the frontlines. In March, Japan promulgated a revised version of the Decree on Education in Joseon, which abolished the Korean language program in secondary school curricula. In response, Kansong conceived a new project aimed at dampening Japanese hopes of exterminating Korean culture.
His vision was to construct a private museum on the premises of Bukdanjang to house, exhibit, and study his collection of Korean arts and artifacts, thereby preserving Korean culture and instilling national pride in the Korean people. As Joseon had already been placed on a war footing, various goods, including even grain shipped to Seoul, were rationed. In such austere times, Kansong’s decision to build a modern museum building demonstrates the intensity of his resistance against Japan.
When the authorities issued an order to disperse people and goods concentrated in Seoul, it became nearly impossible to secure the labor and provisions needed for the building project. Kansong was compelled to mobilize tenant farmers working his land in Wangsim-ni, Dapsim-ni, Songpa, Nohae, Changdong, and other areas around the capital. They arrived at the construction site at dawn with their own provisions and returned home at dusk. As if to mock Japan’s strict control of goods, Kansong adorned the museum stairs with Italian marble, floored the galleries with hardwood boards, and commissioned extravagant red-wood showcases made to order in Shanghai from Yamanaka Trading Co.
The museum building, christened Bohwagak (literally “a house for the protection of treasures”), was designed by Joseon architect Park Gilryong (1898-1943). A graduate of Gyeongseong Industrial College (today’s College of Engineering at Seoul National University) in 1920, Park had opened his studio in Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu, in July 1932 after working as an engineer for the Office of Joseon Governor-General. As Park Gilryong also designed Hwasin Department Store around the same time, Bohwagak stands as one of the earliest Western-style buildings designed by a Korean architect.
While working on the launch of his private museum, Kansong regularly asked such veteran painters and calligraphers as Oh Sechang, Go Huidong, and An Jongweon for their advice, and discussed frequently with such young painters as No Suhyeon (1899-1978, pen name Simsan) and Lee Sangbeom (1897-1972, pen nameCheongjeon) as well as Park Jongmok and his brother Jonghwa, who were Kansong’s cousins on the mother’s side, and Hannamseorim Bookstore owner Lee Sunhwang.
Undeterred by his successes, Kansong intensified his efforts to secure top-tier artworks and artifacts of Korea. In the summer, he procured a pair of juxtaposed calligraphic works in the clerical script style by Chusa, featuring two seven-character phrases: “The greatest dishes are beancurd, cucumbers, and wild vegetables” and “The noblest get-togethers are those of parents, children, and grandchildren.” This work, marking the culmination of Chusa’s calligraphic career, is regarded as his magnum opus. Kansong solicited Oh Sechang to compose a foreword for the piece, to which Oh Sechang obliged, writing, “This calligraphic work of Chusa is hereby certified as authentic by Oh Sechang, a follower of Chusa, on Chobok of 1937.”
On July 7 of the same year, Japan fabricated charges against China in the Lugou Bridge Incident and declared all-out war. Japan began exploiting Joseon as a military supply base. In February 1938, the Japanese Army initiated the so-called “Voluntary Enlistment Program for Joseon Men,” under which young Joseon men were forcibly conscripted to the frontlines. In March, Japan promulgated a revised version of the Decree on Education in Joseon, which abolished the Korean language program in secondary school curricula. In response, Kansong conceived a new project aimed at dampening Japanese hopes of exterminating Korean culture.
His vision was to construct a private museum on the premises of Bukdanjang to house, exhibit, and study his collection of Korean arts and artifacts, thereby preserving Korean culture and instilling national pride in the Korean people. As Joseon had already been placed on a war footing, various goods, including even grain shipped to Seoul, were rationed. In such austere times, Kansong’s decision to build a modern museum building demonstrates the intensity of his resistance against Japan.
When the authorities issued an order to disperse people and goods concentrated in Seoul, it became nearly impossible to secure the labor and provisions needed for the building project. Kansong was compelled to mobilize tenant farmers working his land in Wangsim-ni, Dapsim-ni, Songpa, Nohae, Changdong, and other areas around the capital. They arrived at the construction site at dawn with their own provisions and returned home at dusk. As if to mock Japan’s strict control of goods, Kansong adorned the museum stairs with Italian marble, floored the galleries with hardwood boards, and commissioned extravagant red-wood showcases made to order in Shanghai from Yamanaka Trading Co.
The museum building, christened Bohwagak (literally “a house for the protection of treasures”), was designed by Joseon architect Park Gilryong (1898-1943). A graduate of Gyeongseong Industrial College (today’s College of Engineering at Seoul National University) in 1920, Park had opened his studio in Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu, in July 1932 after working as an engineer for the Office of Joseon Governor-General. As Park Gilryong also designed Hwasin Department Store around the same time, Bohwagak stands as one of the earliest Western-style buildings designed by a Korean architect.
While working on the launch of his private museum, Kansong regularly asked such veteran painters and calligraphers as Oh Sechang, Go Huidong, and An Jongweon for their advice, and discussed frequently with such young painters as No Suhyeon (1899-1978, pen name Simsan) and Lee Sangbeom (1897-1972, pen nameCheongjeon) as well as Park Jongmok and his brother Jonghwa, who were Kansong’s cousins on the mother’s side, and Hannamseorim Bookstore owner Lee Sunhwang.
<Bohwagak Jeongchomyeong> by Oh Sechang, stone inscription (46.0x30.0cm)On July 5, 1938, Bohwagak, Korea’s first private museum, celebrated the completion of its framework. Oh Sechang, then 75 years old, was elated to witness such an auspicious occasion in his lifetime and composed congratulatory remarks that were inscribed in the cornerstone.
It appears that the building had already been named, as the inscription refers to the structure as “Bohwagak.” Upon the construction’s completion, Oh Sechang requested that the building’s name be written on a wooden nameboard in ink using seal script. This board remains displayed on Bohwagak to this day. Photographs taken at the time indicate that Kansong personally supervised the construction whenever his schedule permitted.
Kansong inspecting Bohwagak under construction, 1938
Before Bohwagak on opening day, 1938When Bohwagak was completed and its splendor revealed, Kansong and his like-minded associates held a modest ceremony to mark the museum’s opening. A photograph captures Lee Sangbeom, Park Jonghwa (1900-1981, pen name Weoltan), Go Huidong, An Jongweon, Oh Sechang, Kansong, Park Jongmok, No Suhyeon, and Lee Sunhwang together in the sitting room of Bukdanjang. Another image shows them all posing in front of Bohwagak
That same year, Kansong constructed and took up residence in a small traditional tile-roofed house adjacent to the Western-style building where a French oil dealer had previously lived in Bukdanjang. His family continued to reside in the Baeugae residence, as the Bukdanjang house at that time was an isolated dwelling in a remote mountainous area.
With the inauguration of Bukdanjang, Kansong embarked on a campaign to repatriate large-scale stone artifacts that had been plundered by the Japanese. Now that he had a spacious outdoor area in Bukdanjang, Kansong dispatched his agents to Japan to repurchase stone Buddhist statues, pagodas, stupas, and lanterns of Korean origin without concern for where to place them. It appears that Lee Sunhwang was Kansong’s primary agent for this task. In a photograph taken before the Octagonal Shrine-shaped Stupa from Guosan (Treasure No. 579), Lee Sunhwang is seated to the right in the front row, in front of Kansong.
With the inauguration of Bukdanjang, Kansong embarked on a campaign to repatriate large-scale stone artifacts that had been plundered by the Japanese. Now that he had a spacious outdoor area in Bukdanjang, Kansong dispatched his agents to Japan to repurchase stone Buddhist statues, pagodas, stupas, and lanterns of Korean origin without concern for where to place them. It appears that Lee Sunhwang was Kansong’s primary agent for this task. In a photograph taken before the Octagonal Shrine-shaped Stupa from Guosan (Treasure No. 579), Lee Sunhwang is seated to the right in the front row, in front of Kansong.
Before the Octagonal Shrine-shaped Stupa from Guosan, 1938
Before the Seated Stone Vairocana Buddha, 1938Lee Sunhwang also appears in a photograph taken before the Seated Stone Vairocana Buddha (Seoul City-designated Cultural Property No. 31), which currently resides near Bohwagak. This image is believed to have been taken at the Bohwagak opening ceremony, as it features other figures who participated in the event, including Oh Sechang, An Jongseon, and Go Huidong. In the photograph, the arrangement of the Three-story Stone Pagoda (Seoul City-designated Cultural Property No. 28) and the stone lantern corresponds to their present-day positions, indicating that these stone artifacts were relocated to Bukdanjang near Bohwagak prior to the private museum’s opening.
Subsequently, Kansong acquired stone works ranging from the Five-storied Stone Pagoda from Mungyeong (Treasure No. 580), Octagonal Shrine-shaped Stupa from Guosan (Seoul City-designated Cultural Property No. 28), and Standing Stone Maitreya (Seoul City-designated Cultural Property No. 30) to diverse objects placed before tombs such as stone tables, stone statues of civil officials, and stone incense burners.
The Octagonal Shrine-shaped Stupa from Guosan (Treasure No. 579) was purchased from a Japanese antique trader through Lee Sunhwang at Incheon Port in the summer of 1935, just as the antique trader was preparing to transport it to Japan. Kansong paid a substantial sum for the stupa, which now stands at the heart of Bukdanjang. It was toppled during the Korean War and re-erected on February 4, 1964, the second anniversary of Kansong’s death, by art and antiquities enthusiasts such as Choe Sunu, Hwang Suyeong, Jin Heungseop, and Jeong Yeongho. In August 1967, Jeong Yeongho discovered the stupa’s original location in Samseong Village, Oesa-ri, Chilseong-myeon, Gaesan-gun during a survey of historical remains in Goesan. Flagpole supports remained in Samseong Village, and the original site of the stupa was located 2500 meters to the east of these supports. When Jeong Yeongho found the site, two tombs had been constructed upon it.
Following the establishment of Bohwagak, Kansong intensified his efforts to collect Korean cultural assets. On March 19, 1939, he dispatched Jinbo Gizo to the auction of the Doi Hunichi collection to acquire Korean ceramics, including the White Porcelain Water Dropper in the Shape of a Precious Pearl Decorated with the Four Gentlemen in Underglaze Blue, White Porcelain Water Dropper Decorated with Landscape, Pavilion and Human Figures in Underglaze Blue, White Porcelain Gui, White Porcelain Dove-shaped Water Dropper in the Style of a Ritual Wine Cup, Blue-and-White Porcelain House-shaped Water Dropper with Landscape Design in Underglaze Iron and Copper, Joseon White Porcelain Flower-shaped Incense Holder, and White Porcelain Paper Tube.
On June 11, 1939, a Joseon businessman named Lee Yeonggae held an auction of arts and artifacts owned by eleven Japanese collectors who had returned to Japan from Joseon at the Gyeongseong Art Club. Kansong acquired numerous top-class artworks at this auction as well, storing them at Bohwagak. The list includes Tongcheon Gate Rock, one of the finest ink-and-wash landscape paintings by Jeong Seon (1676-1759, pen name Gyeomjae); Amitayus Buddha by Ming-period Chinese painter Ding Yunpeng (1542-1621, pen name Shenghuajushi); Bamboo Forest in Haze by Qing painter Fang Ming; and a painting with a matching calligraphied poem titled Sparse Forest and Shallow Brook by Qing painter Zhang Daowo (pen name Shuiwu).
In the same year, Kansong also managed to purchase an album of eight large-scale landscape paintings by Sim Sajeong, as well as matching scrolls in clerical script, matching scrolls in semi-cursive script, and a folding fan painting entitled Irises and Orchids Sharing Fragrances by Chusa.
On February 11, 1940 (the fifteenth year of Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s reign), when Kansong was 35 years old, the Korean people faced a crisis of losing their national identity as the Japanese colonialists proclaimed a decree that forced every Joseon person to abandon their Korean name in favor of a Japanese name. They also mandated the exclusive use of the Japanese language. These extreme measures were merely the latest in a series of blatant attempts by Japan to eradicate the time-honored culture of Korea, including the abolition of the Korean language and Sino-Korean character curricula in schools in 1938.
In addition to escalating his efforts to collect and protect precious cultural assets of Korea, Kansong acquired the Boseong High Common School Foundation for 600,000 Korean won to rescue the financially beleaguered institution established by Imperial order of Emperor Gojong as a cradle of higher education for Koreans. On April 7 of the same year, he dispatched both Lee Sunhwang and Jinbo Kizo as his agents to secure the finest artworks offered at auction by Park Changhun (1897-1951), a Joseon doctor and art collector.
The items acquired at this auction included the Mt. Fuchun scroll (788x30.7cm) by Qing Chinese painter Zhan Shen (pen name Chanong), painted at the request of Kim Myeonghi (1788-1857, pen name Sancheon), the second eldest brother of Chusa. Chimgye is a calligraphic work brushed by Chusa in the clerical script for his disciple Yun Jeonghyeon (1793-1874, pen name Chimgye). According to a marginal note, Yun Jeonghyeon had asked Chusa to write his pen name (“梣溪”) in the clerical script, but Chusa could only do so after three decades of consideration and study, as he could not find an example of the first Chinese character (“梣”) in that style. This note is recognized as an important reference on the formation of Chusa’s calligraphic style.
Roaring Stream in a Pine Valley is a landscape painted and presented to Kim Myeonghi by Yi Nian Zeng (1790-1861, pen name Meishi), the son of Yi Bingshou (1754-1815, pen name Moquing), who was one of the most eminent calligraphers of his time and a significant influence on the formation of the Chusa Style. Old Man of the South Pole is a portrait of a fictitious old man symbolizing longevity, painted by Yun Deokhi (1685-1766, pen name Yeonong) to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of Choe Changseok (1679-1748, pen name Uam). A name board bearing the pen name of Yun Jeonghyeon, Chimgye, written in clerical script was a calligraphic work of Ye Zhi Xi (1779-1862, pen name Pinganguan), a favorite disciple of Weng Wen Gang (1733-1818, a renowned Qing calligrapher and intimate friend of Chusa), sent to Yun Jeonghyeon in 1846, the Chong Liang year when Chusa turned 60.
Matching scrolls in semi-cursive script “眉山父子承家學” and “涑水勳名卽史才” were brushed by Wu Chongliang (1766-1834, pen name Lanxue), another disciple of Weng and friend of the Chusa family, and sent to Kim Nogyeong (1766-1838, pen name Yudang, Chusa’s father) as a 59th birthday gift. Kansong presented this set to Kim Sanggi (1901-1977, pen name Dongbin) as a 60th birthday present in 1961. Currently, it is housed in the Yeungnam University library.
AAt the auction, Kansong also purchased several white porcelain pieces including Blue-and-White Porcelain Water Dropper in the Shape of a Coiled Dragon Toying with a Pearl in Underglaze Iron and Copper, White Porcelain Basket-shaped Water Dropper Decorated with Chrysanthemum, Peony, and Plum Design in Underglaze Blue, and Joseon White Porcelain Incense Holder with Lizard-shaped Nob. At the auction of the Okai Nariyama collection that opened on March 21, 1943, Jinbo Gizo acquired White Porcelain Ring-shaped Water Dropper and White Porcelain Knee-shaped Water Dropper on behalf of Kansong.
In April of the same year, Kansong obtained a portrait of Su Shi (1037-1101, a Chinese writer, poet, painter, calligrapher, and statesman of the Song dynasty) painted by Kim Sangwu (1817-1884, pen name Susan, son of Chusa’s concubine) while attending to his father during his exile on Jeju-do.
The Octagonal Shrine-shaped Stupa from Guosan (Treasure No. 579) was purchased from a Japanese antique trader through Lee Sunhwang at Incheon Port in the summer of 1935, just as the antique trader was preparing to transport it to Japan. Kansong paid a substantial sum for the stupa, which now stands at the heart of Bukdanjang. It was toppled during the Korean War and re-erected on February 4, 1964, the second anniversary of Kansong’s death, by art and antiquities enthusiasts such as Choe Sunu, Hwang Suyeong, Jin Heungseop, and Jeong Yeongho. In August 1967, Jeong Yeongho discovered the stupa’s original location in Samseong Village, Oesa-ri, Chilseong-myeon, Gaesan-gun during a survey of historical remains in Goesan. Flagpole supports remained in Samseong Village, and the original site of the stupa was located 2500 meters to the east of these supports. When Jeong Yeongho found the site, two tombs had been constructed upon it.
Following the establishment of Bohwagak, Kansong intensified his efforts to collect Korean cultural assets. On March 19, 1939, he dispatched Jinbo Gizo to the auction of the Doi Hunichi collection to acquire Korean ceramics, including the White Porcelain Water Dropper in the Shape of a Precious Pearl Decorated with the Four Gentlemen in Underglaze Blue, White Porcelain Water Dropper Decorated with Landscape, Pavilion and Human Figures in Underglaze Blue, White Porcelain Gui, White Porcelain Dove-shaped Water Dropper in the Style of a Ritual Wine Cup, Blue-and-White Porcelain House-shaped Water Dropper with Landscape Design in Underglaze Iron and Copper, Joseon White Porcelain Flower-shaped Incense Holder, and White Porcelain Paper Tube.
On June 11, 1939, a Joseon businessman named Lee Yeonggae held an auction of arts and artifacts owned by eleven Japanese collectors who had returned to Japan from Joseon at the Gyeongseong Art Club. Kansong acquired numerous top-class artworks at this auction as well, storing them at Bohwagak. The list includes Tongcheon Gate Rock, one of the finest ink-and-wash landscape paintings by Jeong Seon (1676-1759, pen name Gyeomjae); Amitayus Buddha by Ming-period Chinese painter Ding Yunpeng (1542-1621, pen name Shenghuajushi); Bamboo Forest in Haze by Qing painter Fang Ming; and a painting with a matching calligraphied poem titled Sparse Forest and Shallow Brook by Qing painter Zhang Daowo (pen name Shuiwu).
In the same year, Kansong also managed to purchase an album of eight large-scale landscape paintings by Sim Sajeong, as well as matching scrolls in clerical script, matching scrolls in semi-cursive script, and a folding fan painting entitled Irises and Orchids Sharing Fragrances by Chusa.
On February 11, 1940 (the fifteenth year of Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s reign), when Kansong was 35 years old, the Korean people faced a crisis of losing their national identity as the Japanese colonialists proclaimed a decree that forced every Joseon person to abandon their Korean name in favor of a Japanese name. They also mandated the exclusive use of the Japanese language. These extreme measures were merely the latest in a series of blatant attempts by Japan to eradicate the time-honored culture of Korea, including the abolition of the Korean language and Sino-Korean character curricula in schools in 1938.
In addition to escalating his efforts to collect and protect precious cultural assets of Korea, Kansong acquired the Boseong High Common School Foundation for 600,000 Korean won to rescue the financially beleaguered institution established by Imperial order of Emperor Gojong as a cradle of higher education for Koreans. On April 7 of the same year, he dispatched both Lee Sunhwang and Jinbo Kizo as his agents to secure the finest artworks offered at auction by Park Changhun (1897-1951), a Joseon doctor and art collector.
The items acquired at this auction included the Mt. Fuchun scroll (788x30.7cm) by Qing Chinese painter Zhan Shen (pen name Chanong), painted at the request of Kim Myeonghi (1788-1857, pen name Sancheon), the second eldest brother of Chusa. Chimgye is a calligraphic work brushed by Chusa in the clerical script for his disciple Yun Jeonghyeon (1793-1874, pen name Chimgye). According to a marginal note, Yun Jeonghyeon had asked Chusa to write his pen name (“梣溪”) in the clerical script, but Chusa could only do so after three decades of consideration and study, as he could not find an example of the first Chinese character (“梣”) in that style. This note is recognized as an important reference on the formation of Chusa’s calligraphic style.
Roaring Stream in a Pine Valley is a landscape painted and presented to Kim Myeonghi by Yi Nian Zeng (1790-1861, pen name Meishi), the son of Yi Bingshou (1754-1815, pen name Moquing), who was one of the most eminent calligraphers of his time and a significant influence on the formation of the Chusa Style. Old Man of the South Pole is a portrait of a fictitious old man symbolizing longevity, painted by Yun Deokhi (1685-1766, pen name Yeonong) to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of Choe Changseok (1679-1748, pen name Uam). A name board bearing the pen name of Yun Jeonghyeon, Chimgye, written in clerical script was a calligraphic work of Ye Zhi Xi (1779-1862, pen name Pinganguan), a favorite disciple of Weng Wen Gang (1733-1818, a renowned Qing calligrapher and intimate friend of Chusa), sent to Yun Jeonghyeon in 1846, the Chong Liang year when Chusa turned 60.
Matching scrolls in semi-cursive script “眉山父子承家學” and “涑水勳名卽史才” were brushed by Wu Chongliang (1766-1834, pen name Lanxue), another disciple of Weng and friend of the Chusa family, and sent to Kim Nogyeong (1766-1838, pen name Yudang, Chusa’s father) as a 59th birthday gift. Kansong presented this set to Kim Sanggi (1901-1977, pen name Dongbin) as a 60th birthday present in 1961. Currently, it is housed in the Yeungnam University library.
AAt the auction, Kansong also purchased several white porcelain pieces including Blue-and-White Porcelain Water Dropper in the Shape of a Coiled Dragon Toying with a Pearl in Underglaze Iron and Copper, White Porcelain Basket-shaped Water Dropper Decorated with Chrysanthemum, Peony, and Plum Design in Underglaze Blue, and Joseon White Porcelain Incense Holder with Lizard-shaped Nob. At the auction of the Okai Nariyama collection that opened on March 21, 1943, Jinbo Gizo acquired White Porcelain Ring-shaped Water Dropper and White Porcelain Knee-shaped Water Dropper on behalf of Kansong.
In April of the same year, Kansong obtained a portrait of Su Shi (1037-1101, a Chinese writer, poet, painter, calligrapher, and statesman of the Song dynasty) painted by Kim Sangwu (1817-1884, pen name Susan, son of Chusa’s concubine) while attending to his father during his exile on Jeju-do.
In the Bukdanjang sitting room on the opening day of Bohwagak, 1938