Last updated on November 6, 2025.
Acknowledgements: I thank Seung Yeon Sang (Henderson Curatorial Fellow, Harvard Art Museums, 2016-2018) and Sarah Laursen (Alan J. Dworsky Associate Curator of Chinese Art, Harvard Art Museums) for their support and guidance. Special thanks go to Yan Yang, Sarah Laursen, Laura Muir, and Soyoung Lee at the Harvard Art Museums for their continuing support.
Page Contents
- Books
- Printing Block and Metal Types
- Ch'aekkŏri paintings
- Photographs
- Paintings Depicting Books and Occasions of Reading
- Objects with words (under construction)
- Tools Used for Cutting Woodblocks
(10 objects originating from Japan) - Provenance/Donors
After a six-year long renovation and expansion, The Harvard Art Museums (HAM; 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA) reopened in 2014. It holds 1,455 objects originating from Korea (as of 2020). Admission is free to all visitors every day, except Monday when the museum is closed!
Among many treasures of Korean arts collected by the HAM are numerous books and book-related objects.
Examples of book-related objects include two paintings of books and scholars accoutrements, called ch'aekkŏri 책거리 (also romanized as chaekkeori or chaek-geo-ri), several paintings that depict books and occasions of reading, objects related to the "three brush arts" (poetry 詩 시, calligraphy 書 서, painting 畵 화), a carved wooden printing block, metal movable types (瘽, 諛, 餞, and [illegible]), a photograph where one grown-up and two children are posing next to a stack of books in front of a folding screen, and ceramic objects on which sinographic words are inscribed.
Many books were previously owned by Philip Hofer, the founder and first curator of the Department of Printing and Graphic Arts, Houghton Library, Harvard University. They bear ex libris stickers with his name on them.
Information marked with the symbol "Ω" are my own notes.
The first four digits in "Object no." typically means the year of acquisition.
The Korean romanization used for the Museum's the Digital Collection generally follows the McCune-Reischauer Romanization system.
1. BOOKS
Overview:
A total number of objects listed below is 19.
In terms of medium: some are block-printed books (mokp'anbon) and handwritten books (p'ilsabon). While the majority of the books are stitched bound books (sŏnjangbon 線裝本), the HAM holds several accordion/concertina-fold book (chŏlch'ŏpchangbon 折帖裝本) and a couple of handscrolls (kwŏnch'ukchangbon 卷軸裝本).
In terms of subject matter, the books can be broadly categorized into Buddhist books, Daoist books, Confucian books, technical manuals, and fortune-telling.
Most of the books, both printed and handwritten, contain illustrations.
Objects:
Illustrated Buddhist Text // 1950.93 // Online access
- block-print; stitch-binding; with illustrations
- Ω Not identified in the HAM's metadata, the book is probably a copy of Pulsŏl pumo ŭnjunggyŏng.
Buddhist Sutra: Myobŏp Yŏnhwa Kyŏng (Chinese, Miaofa Lianhua Jing; Sanskrit, Saddharmapundarika Sutra; English, Lotus Sutra), Chapter 1, Preface // 1984.292 // Online access
- Other title: Myobeop Yeonhwa Gyeong
- MS
- Accordion-fold book with glued spine
- gold ink on white paper
- Traditionally attributed to Kim Saeng, Korean (711 - 791)
- Ω no illustrations
- Ω Excerpts from the first chapter "Preface" (Sŏp'um 序品) and the second chapter "Expedient Means (Pangp'yŏnp'um 方便品) of the Lotus Sutra, a text translated by Kumārajīva 鳩摩羅什 कुमारजीव (344-413). It is possible that this booklet was created for recitation purposes. There is no prefatory material. I have not yet seen the item firsthand (as of May 23 2022).
Section of a Buddhist Sutra // 1984.468 // Online access
- Accordion-fold book
- gold ink on brown paper
- Traditionally attributed to Kim Saeng, Korean (711 - 791)
- Ω no illustrations
- Ω Related object: See also 1984.292 // Online access
Letter // 2006. 3 // Online access
- Calligraphy of Yi Ha-ŭng (also known as Taewŏn’gun), Korean (1820 - 1898)
One Page from the Ksitigarbha-Bodhisattva-Pranidhana-Sutra (Sutra of the Oath of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha) Attributed to Prince Yi Yong (An-p'yŏng Tae-kun, Prince An-p'yŏng), Korean (1418 - 1453) (Anp'yŏng Taegun) // 2008.241 // Online access
- MS
- Ω The HAM metadata describes the item is a section from a scroll and could be a section from an accordion-fold book
Buddhist Sutra: Pulsŏl Chŏngsaeng wang Inyŏn Kyŏng (Chinese, Fuoshuo Dingshengwang Yinyuan Jing), Section from Chapter 3 // 1984.323 // Online access
- Other titles: Bulseol Jeongsaeng'wang Inyeon Gyeong
- MS
- handscroll
- Ω sagyŏng 寫經: sutra transcription
Buddhist Sutra: Hwaŏm Kyŏng (Chinese, Huayan Jing; Sanskrit, Avatamsaka Sutra), Chapter 77, with Frontispiece // 1984.548 // Online access
- Other titles: Hwa'eom Gyeong
- Accordion-fold book
- gold and silver pigments on indigo-blue paper
- Ω illustrated book
- Ω sagyŏng 寫經: sutra transcription
Album of Chinese, Korean and Japanese Calligraphy (Collection of Sutra Fragments) // 1985.359 // Online access
- Calligraphic and printed fragments mounted in accordion-fold album (Ω a typographical error fixed: from "Calligaphic" to "Calligraphic")
- ink, gold and silver on various colored papers
Posal Sŏngkye Kyŏng 菩薩善戒經 (Chinese, Pusa Shanjie Jing), complete in one volume // 1985.951 // Online access
- Accordion-fold
- woodblock-printed book
- ink on paper
Illustrated Compendium of Loyal Persons (Sok Sam-kang Haeng-sil To 續三綱行實圖) // 1985.952 // Online access
- Thread-bound
- woodblock-printed book
- three chapters in one volume; ink on paper
- Late 16th-century reprint (probably ca. 1580) of a book whose preface is dated to 1514.
Buddhist Sutra: Abitalma Kyeshinjokron (Chinese, Abidamo Jieshenzulun; Sanskrit, Abhidharma-dhatu-kaya-pada), Chapter 1, Preface // 1985.953 // Online access
- Other titles: Abidalma Gyesinjokron
- Section of a handscroll
- gold ink on indigo-blue paper
- Ω sagyŏng 寫經: sutra transcription
- Ω Abidalma Kyesin chongnon 界身足論
Illustrated Books on Horses and Equine Illnesses (Ma Kyŏng), Two Volumes // 1985.955 // Online access
- Two thread-bound manuscript volumes
- ink on paper
- Ω Selections from Magyŏng ch'ojip ŏnhae 馬經抄集諺解 (Vernacularized Edition of A Compilation of Selections from of Book of the Horse). The two books are of two different sizes. Both contain kugyŏl-glossed Literary Sinitic passages followed by translation.
- Ω illustrated book
Illustrated Compendium of Loyal Persons (I-ryun Haeng-sil To 二倫行實圖) // 1985.956 // Online access
- Set of thread-bound
- woodblock-printed books
- two volumes
- ink on paper.
- Printed in Tanyang, North Ch'unch'ŏng province; 1580 reprint of a book whose preface is dated to 1518.
- Ω illustrated book
- Ω previously owned by Philip Hofer.
Illustrated Guide to the Three Relations (Sam-gang Haeng-sil To) 三綱行實圖 // 1985.957 // Online access
- Set of thread-bound
- woodblock-printed books
- three chapters in three volumes
- ink on paper.
- Late 16th-century reprint (probably ca. 1580) of a book whose preface is dated to 1432.
- Ω illustrated book
- Ω previously owned by Philip Hofer.
Buddhist Sutra: Myobŏp Yŏnhwa Kyŏng (Chinese, Miaofa Lianhua Jing; Sanskrit Saddharmapundarika Sutra; English, Lotus Sutra), One Page from Chapter 23 on the Medicine King (Yak'wang; Chinese, Yaowang) // 1985.958 // Online access
- Other titles: Myobeop Yeonhwa Gyeong
- Page from a book mounted as an album leaf
- characters brush-written in gold ink over characters printed in black ink (probably with bronze moveable type) on indigo-blue paper, the top and bottom borders printed in black ink
- Ω Punctuated text, indicated by the ideograph "o."
Illustrated Compendium of Good Emperors and Rulers (Kwan Sŏng-che-kun Sŏng-chŏk To-chi Chŏn-chip) // 1985.959 // Online access
- Set of thread-bound
- woodblock-printed books
- five chapters in five volumes; ink on paper. Printed by Ro Chun-sim using blocks stored in Tan-kuk Hyŏn-sŏng-chŏn
- 1876 reprint of an earlier work.
Illustrated Daoist Inspirational Biographies (T'ae-sang Kam-ŭng P'yŏn 太上感應篇) // 1985.961 // Online access
- Set of thread-bound
- woodblock-printed books
- five chapters in five volumes
- ink on paper.
- 1852 reprint of an earlier edition.
- Ω previously owned by Philip Hofer.
Illustrated Book on Fortune-Telling // 1985.962 // Online access
- Thread-bound
- manuscript volume
- ink and bright colors on paper
- Ω illustrated book
- Ω a book of prognostication called Tangsaju 唐四柱.
Illustrated Compendium of Loyal Persons (O-ryun Haeng-sil To) 五倫行實圖 // 1985.963 // Online access
- Other title: Gwan Seong-je-gun Seong-jeok Do-ji Jeon-jip
- Set of thread-bound
- woodblock-printed books; five chapters in five volumes
- ink on paper.
- 1859 reprint of a book with five earlier prefaces.
- Ω illustrated book
- Ω previously owned by Philip Hofer.
2. Printing Block and metal types
Printing Block: Pages Twenty Seven (recto and verso) and Twenty Eight (recto and verso) of the Appendix to the Collected Literary Works of Hunsu Sŏnsaeng [Hun-su Sŏn-saeng mun-jip, pu-rok, i-sip-ch'il, i-sip-p'al] // 2002.272 // Online access
- Other title: Original Language Title: Korean: Hun-su Sŏn-saeng mun-jip, pu-rok, i-sip-ch'il, i-sip-p'al; Chinese: Xuansou xiansheng wenji, fulu, ershiqi, ershiba
- A printing block of a munjip 文集 (lit. literary collection) of Chŏng Manyang 鄭萬陽 (1664–1730; sobriquet Hunsu 塤叟).
Characters from Movable-Type Printing Machine
- 1984.389 // Online access
- 1984.390 // Online access
- 1984.391 // Online access
- 1984.392 // Online access
3. CH'AEKKŎRI (CHAEKKEORI) PAINTINGS
Books and Scholars' Accoutrements (Ch’aekkŏri) // 1920.22 // Online access
- Other titles: Chaek-geo-ri
Books and Scholars' Accoutrements (Ch'aekkŏri) // 2014.198 // Online access //
4. PHOTOGRAPHS
Seated Young Korean Man and Two Small Girls // 1978.484.89.2 // Online access -- This photo appears in a photo album.
-
Ω Although the HAM metadata says "two small girls," the clothing of the children suggest that they are boys.
5. PAINTINGS DEPICTING BOOKS AND OCCASIONS OF READING
| Description | Title | Other titles | Link | Object no. |
| A hanging scroll depicting a judge in the Buddhist hell. | Chin'gwang Wang, First of the Ten Kings of Hell | Original Language Title: 第一秦廣王 Alternate Title: Jin'gwang Wang |
Online access | 1974.22 |
| Seated Chijang Posal (Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha), the Ten Kings of Hell, Monk Tomyŏng (C. Daoming), and Three Officials, one of whom holding a scroll "symbolizing the list of good and bad deeds of the deceased that Chijang Posal and the Ten Kings of Hell will review in deciding the status that the deceased will experience in his/her next rebirth." | Seated Chijang Posal (Chinese, Dizang Pusa; Sanskrit, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha) Flanked by the Ten Kings of Hell, Monk Tomyŏng (Chinese, Daoming), and Three Officials | Online access | 2010.567 | |
| Seated Chijang Posal (Chinese, Dizang Pusa; Sanskrit, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha) Flanked by Monk Tomyŏng (Chinese, Daoming) and Demon King Mutŏk Kuiwang (Chinese, Wudu Guiwang) and Surrounded by the Ten Kings of Hell and Their Retinues. One official on the left (viewer's perspective) of Chijang is holding a book. One official on the right is holding a brush and a piece of paper with writing on it. | Seated Chijang Posal (Chinese, Dizang Pusa; Sanskrit, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha) Flanked by Monk Tomyŏng (Chinese, Daoming) and Demon King Mutŏk Kuiwang (Chinese, Wudu Guiwang) and Surrounded by the Ten Kings of Hell and Their Retinues | Alternate Title: Seated Jijang Bosal Flanked by Monk Domyeong and Demon King Mudok Guiwang and Surrounded by the Ten Kings of Hell and their Retinues | Online access | 2001.73 |
| Ideographs Representing the Eight Confucian Virtues | Online access | 1996.141 |
6. Tools used for cutting woodblocks (10 objects originating from Japan)
10 objects under Object no. "1937.174.a." go to the "Browse Our Collections" page and search for "1937.174.a."
7. PROVENANCE/DONORS
- Philip Hofer (1898-1984)
- The Hendersons: Gregory Henderson (1922-1988) and Maria-Christine Elisabeth (von Magnus) Henderson (1923-2007)
- Papers on Korea, Gregory Henderson, 1922–1988. Finding aids
- Langdon Warner (1881-1955)
- Jerry Lee Musslewhite (1937-2009)