Portable globular sundial iryeongwongu returns to Korea, goes on display

Korean Heritage

Published: 18 Aug. 2022, 14:50

Portable globular sundial iryeongwongu returns to Korea, goes on display

A spherical sundial known as iryeongwongu returned to Korea from the United States and was revealed to the public at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]

Iryeongwongu, a spherical sundial created in 1890, returned home to Korea from the United States in March and was revealed to the public for the first time since its return on Thursday.

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said it acquired the “rare relic” at an auction in the United States and managed to bring it back to its home country.

It is unknown how the sundial was taken outside the country, as it is the case with many of Korea’s cultural heritages that were stolen or taken outside the country during the Japanese colonization (1910-45) and the Korean War (1950-53).

The CHA said the item was auctioned off by a private collector who had acquired it from the bereaved family of a U.S. military officer who had been stationed in Japan.

According to the CHA, iryeongwongu is a rare relic that had not been known to academia.

Upon obtaining more information about the item, CHA said it carried out detailed research and worked on a literature review for more than a year with the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation and eventually made the decision to purchase the valuable relic.

The iryeongwongu, according to Kim Byeong-yun, a researcher at the CHA, is the first known portable globular sundial.

“It carries high historical and scientific value since its producer and production date can be confirmed through the featured inscription and seal,” said Kim. “It also clearly demonstrates the succession and development of the science and technology of the Joseon Dynasty [1392-1910].”

Angbuilgu, a hemispherical sundial created by King Sejong, is the most common type of sundial of the Joseon Dynasty. This type of sundial can help tell time through the shadow cast by the sun through a sharp rod known as a gnomon that’s affixed to a platform, allowing the exact time to be measured though only at a single location.

However, iryeongwongu was made in the form of a sphere, demonstrating a marked difference from more conventional sundials. The major difference is that it can still tell time in different regions by adjusting the body and the bar attached to the sphere.

The returned iryeongwongu will continue to be displayed together with other returned cultural heritages of Korea at the National Palace Museum of Korea’s “Treasures of Ours, Treasured by Others: Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage” exhibit that is currently ongoing until Sept. 25.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]