[YeitSuda] Cultural Heritage Returns Home Through Auction

Ahn Junggeun's Calligraphy Sets Auction Record After Five Years
Returned to Korea from Japanese Collector,
Highlighting the Growing Focus on Repatriating Cultural Heritage

At the end of last year, a piece of calligraphy written by Ahn Junggeun during his imprisonment drew significant public attention as it appeared at auction for the first time in about five years. The calligraphy, written in 1910 at Lushun Prison ahead of his execution, features the phrase "Yonghojiungsegijakinmyojitae," which means "How can the brave and majestic posture of a dragon and a tiger be compared to the appearance of an earthworm and a cat?" This phrase was inscribed alongside Ahn’s clear fingerprint seal.

The calligraphy by independence activist Ahn Junggeun (1879?1910) was sold for 1.95 billion KRW at a domestic auction.

According to Seoul Auction on the 20th, at an auction held the previous day at Seoul Auction Gangnam Center, a calligraphy piece written by Ahn Junggeun in March 1910 titled "Yonghojiungsegijakinmyojitae" (龍虎之雄勢豈作蚓猫之態. How can the brave and majestic posture of a dragon and a tiger be compared to the appearance of an earthworm and a cat?) was sold for 1.95 billion KRW. The buyer is reported to be Korean.
Photo by Seoul Auction

This calligraphy, being unveiled to the public for the first time, set a new record by being sold for 1.95 billion KRW at a Seoul Auction event. Its significance is further heightened by the fact that it was repatriated to Korea after being held by a Japanese collector. Previously, another calligraphy work by Ahn, "Saesimdae," which had been in the possession of a Japanese private collector, was sold for 400 million KRW at a K Auction event in December 2017, and another piece auctioned at Seoul Auction in December 2018 fetched 750 million KRW.

It is estimated that Ahn Junggeun left behind more than 200 pieces of Chinese calligraphy during his time at Lushun Prison. The Ahn Junggeun Memorial Hall recognizes 57 of these, with 31 registered as nationally designated cultural treasures. Due to the circumstances of the time, all of these calligraphic works were left in the hands of Japanese individuals. As news of the record-breaking sale of Ahn’s calligraphy spread, foreign collectors who possessed not only Ahn’s works but also other cultural artifacts paid close attention.

Accordingly, the upcoming February auction will feature another of Ahn’s calligraphy pieces, "Insimjoseokbyeonsansaekgogeumdong" (人心朝夕變, 山色古今同), alongside other antiques such as "Sigo, Mukrando" by Chusa Kim Jeonghui and "Seowonajipdo" by Sisan Yu Yunhong. The phrase in Ahn’s calligraphy, "While the human mind changes from morning to evening, the color of the mountains remains the same throughout the ages," is interpreted as expressing Ahn’s unwavering determination to remain steadfast in his devotion to the nation, even though the human heart may be fickle.

The accompanying piece "Sigo, Mukrando" is believed to have been created around 1846, when Chusa Kim Jeonghui turned sixty, as indicated by the seal "Byeongo No-in" (丙午老人) on the lower left. "Seowonajipdo" by Sisan Yu Yunhong is a painting depicting renowned scholars of the Northern Song Dynasty enjoying leisure in a garden. It is regarded as a rare large-scale work by Yu Yunhong, who is known for his genre paintings.

Kim Junseon, Senior Specialist at Seoul Auction’s Art Auction Team, explained, "With Ahn Junggeun’s calligraphy fetching 1.95 billion KRW at the December auction last year, and the Goryeo lacquer box repatriated via the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation being exhibited at the National Palace Museum of Korea earlier this year, there has been a significant increase in attention to cultural heritage repatriation. The fact that three repatriated cultural artifacts are being auctioned this time, which is more than usual, can also be seen as a result of this ongoing interest in reclaiming cultural heritage."

If the items offered at the auction on the 27th are acquired by domestic collectors, it will mark the return of cultural heritage that had previously been unaccounted for, from Japan and Canada back to Korea. Auctions are now becoming the most practical means of repatriating cultural artifacts that have been taken overseas.

Editor's NoteYeitSuda is a column whose name combines "art" and "talk," and covers issues and trends across the arts, including music, fine art, and performance.

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