The Joseon Royal Family Offering Cattle and Praying for Blessings

Introduction of Ujeong (牛鼎) at the National Palace Museum Online
"Contains a sincere wish for the people's well-being"

Ujeong (Uding)

To mark the Year of the Ox, the National Palace Museum announced on the 4th that it has selected the Ujeong (牛鼎) as the curator's recommended royal relic of the month. The Ujeong is a ritual cauldron with three legs shaped like an ox's head and hooves, and two handles. The lid is engraved with the Chinese character '牛', meaning ox. The actual artifact can be viewed on the National Palace Museum and Cultural Heritage Administration's YouTube channels.

Ujeong (Ujeong)

This ritual vessel was used at Jongmyo Shrine to transport boiled beef to the ritual site. Depending on the type of sacrificial animal placed in the vessel, it was classified as Ujeong (ox), Yangjeong (sheep), or Sijeong (pig). The ox was considered the most precious offering and was used only in important state rituals such as Jongmyo Jerye and Sajik Jerye.

Ujeong (Uding)

The National Palace Museum holds four lids and five bodies of the Ujeong. These were used in the 'Gwiseik' ceremony, a procedure in state rituals where cooked meat is offered to the deity, and in the subsequent ritual where the king receives the meat back from the deity. An official explained, "This ritual signifies the deity blessing the offering and returning the blessing to humans." The meat contained in the Ujeong was shared among the king and his officials at a feast after the ritual or distributed to royal relatives and officials. "The Ujeong embodies profound respect for the deity and the sincere wish for the people's well-being by widely sharing the blessings bestowed by the deity," the official added.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.