Korean Treasures: Volume 2: Rare Books, Manuscripts and Artefacts in the Bodleian Libraries and Museums of Oxford University

The Bodleian Libraries and the museums of the University of Oxford have acquired numerous important and valuable rare books, manuscripts, and artefacts related to Korea, but due to a lack of specialist knowledge, many of these items were neglected. This book collects together further important and unique objects, including the only surviving Korean example of an eighteenth-century world map, rare Korean coins and charms, official correspondence from the archives of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, photographs from the end of the nineteenth century up to the 1960s, a rare silk coat with inner armour plates of lacquered hide, an iron padlock inlaid with silver character inscriptions, bronze shoes and Nightingale robe, spectacles with dark crystal lenses and frames of horn, and an elaborately decorated bow, arrows, and quiver.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 28 June 2019
Publisher: Bodleian Library

The Bodleian Libraries and the museums of the University of Oxford have acquired numerous important and valuable rare books, manuscripts, and artefacts related to Korea throughout their long history. However, due to an early lack of specialist knowledge in this area, many of these Korean items were largely neglected. To address this, this book collects together further important and often unique objects. Notable items include the only surviving Korean example of an eighteenth-century world map, hand-drawn, with a set of twelve globe gores on a single sheet; rare Korean coins and charms, including excellent examples of the 1423 Chosŏn tongbo (朝鮮通寶); official correspondence from the archives of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, shining a light on the history of Christian missions from the opening of Korea in the 1880s until after the Korean War; photographs from the end of the nineteenth century up to the 1960s showing village and street scenes; a rare silk coat with inner armour plates of lacquered hide; a massive iron padlock inlaid with silver character inscriptions, bronze shoes, and Nightingale robe; spectacles with dark crystal lenses and frames of horn; an elaborately decorated bow, arrows, and quiver, and many other rare artefacts.

Weight: 1016g
Dimension: 257 x 226 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781851245260