Upon his appointment as one of the second-rank Bunmu meritorious officials in 1728, Lee Sam (Yi Sam, 1677–1735) was bestowed various rewards by King Yeongjo (reigned 1724–1776), including his portrait. The king’s recognition and rewards continued throughout Lee Sam’s career. This plaque is a copy of the calligraphy King Yeongjo wrote when appointing Lee as the mayor of Hanseong (part of today’s Seoul) in 1731.
This kind of copied royal calligraphy was often
displayed in a man’s living quarters or outside of
a scholar’s study. Except for royal palaces and
Buddhist temples, Joseon-dynasty buildings and
components like plaques were not decorated with
colors. Here the borders of the plaque, although it
was in an official’s house, are decorated with colors
because it contains the king’s calligraphy.
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