Descendants of Chae Je-gong Donate Artifacts to Suwon City

Descendants of Bunam (樊巖) Chae Je-gong (蔡濟恭, 1720–1799), a renowned politician and practical scholar of the Jeongjo era of the Joseon Dynasty and the first Su (留守, a provincial official of the Joseon Dynasty) of Suwon Hwaseong (華城), have decided to donate 135 treasured artifacts to Suwon City.

According to Suwon City on the 11th, descendants including Chae Ho-seok (78), a sixth-generation direct descendant of Bunam, will visit City Hall on the 12th at 2 p.m. to donate artifacts totaling 135 pieces across 7 categories and 64 items, including 4 portraits including Bunam's portrait, 9 calligraphic works, 11 historical documents, 6 literary compositions, 20 letters, and 7 each of old books and miscellaneous documents.

Among these artifacts, Bunam's collected works, Bunam-jip, contain information revealing the actual history of the construction of Hwaseong, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Additionally, the collection includes related materials on Jangnyong-yeong Oeyeong stationed at Hwaseong, materials on civil service examinations and practical scholarship concerning Hwaseong, and handwritten documents by King Jeongjo, which provide valuable insights into politics, society, and daily life of that era.

In particular, Chae Je-gong's portrait, designated as a National Treasure by the state on the 1st of last month, is highly valued historically.

This portrait is a work by Yi Myeong-gi, a master of late Joseon portraiture. Unlike other works, it is accompanied by a preliminary sketch drawn in pencil, which provides important evidence in Korean art history that pencils were imported and used in the late 18th century Joseon Dynasty.

These artifacts were initially in discussions to be donated to the National Museum of Korea or the Silhak Museum; however, Kim Jun-hyeok (38), a curator at the Suwon Hwaseong Project Office, spent over a year tracking down the descendants and persuaded them by explaining that "Bunam had deep connections with Suwon Hwaseong and the artifacts will be displayed at the Hwaseong Museum," resulting in the donation to Suwon City.

Suwon City plans to display Bunam's artifacts at the Hwaseong Museum, which will be completed in 2008, and will hold a special exhibition first at the Hwaseong Promotion Center, which will open on the 30th of next month.

Kim Hye-jeong (75), the sixth-generation wife of Bunam, stated, "While we have carefully preserved these family heirlooms for a long time, our family has decided to donate them generously so that more scholars and people can view and study them."