Description |
Cheonjamun (Thousand-letter Classics) was written by the calligrapher Hanho (1543–1605), in the mid-Joseon Era (during the first year of King Hyojong’s reign) using wooden prints. It is a book on Chinese characters for young children, and includes the Korean pronunciation, meaning, and accents of every Chinese character. The prints are very clear and defined, and when the book was printed for a second time in 1601, it identified the changes in the reading of Chinese characters that took place during the mid-Joseon era. The records on the book’s various publications located at the end of the book identify when the types were first carved and when the k was republished. These records provide valuable information on the study of publication of Cheonjamun during the mid-Joseon Era. Most of Cheonjamun that remains in existence today is in the form of wooden prints. Cheonjamun is unusual in that it uses extra-large wooden-printing types and therefore has great value as a bibliographical artifact. |