Poetry Scroll of Reciprocal Poems by Envoys to Joseon

Joseon · 보물 · 1F · Medieval and Early Modern History · Joseon 2

This handscroll gathers the exchanged poems (changhwasi, in which one person recites a poem and another answers in kind) traded between the Ming envoy Ni Qian and the Jiphyeonjeon scholars Seong Sam-mun (1418-1456), Sin Suk-ju (1417-1475), and Jeong In-ji (1396-1478). The Annals of King Sejong record that after Ni Qian entered Hanseong in the intercalary first month of 1450, he exchanged poems with them daily during his stay, and the Yongjae chonghwa tells how Ni Qian became as close as a brother to Seong Sam-mun and Sin Suk-ju and wept at their parting, vividly illustrating cultural exchange with foreign envoys in early Joseon. The title, written by Wang Shu'an in small-seal script as "Bongsa Joseon Changhwa Sichaek," shows that it was originally in album form. The scroll comprises the title, the body of the exchanged poems, and colophons by the Qing scholars Tang Hanti and Luo Zhenyu; beyond its value for early Joseon diplomacy, it is precious for preserving the calligraphy of Seong Sam-mun, Sin Suk-ju, and Jeong In-ji, offering a rare glimpse of early Joseon brushwork.

See it in person at the National Museum of Korea — 1F · Medieval and Early Modern History · Joseon 2

Source: based on official e-museum records (National Museum of Korea).