Reading at Home

Gim Inpyeong likes to read classic scriptures and literature as a nobleman’s refinement. He is known as a bibliophile since he frequently buys pricey imported books from China in large quantities. However, he doesn’t care about the boring etiquette required for reading. The greatest benefit of privacy is that you can do whatever you want. Gim Inpyeong often takes that to the extreme, even when reading books.

Before the invention of paper, ancient East Asians used bamboo and wooden slips (簡牘) to write documents. After paper was invented and popularized in China around 1st~3rd centuries, bamboo had been largely abandoned as a medium for writing in China. The situation was different in Korea and Japan. The replacement of bamboo and wooden slips (木簡 [Mokgan/Mokkan] in Korean and Japanese) was relatively slow here, so they used it until the 7th and 8th centuries. Gim Inpyeong is from mid-6th century Korea, so he might’ve been familiar with both mokgan and paper.

Inpyeong’s peculiar golden headgear is based on the excavated specimen from Daeri-ri Tombs, Uiseong (의성 대리리 고분군). Tomb No. 46-2 was built in 6th century Silla, right around Inpyeong’s lifetime. The golden necklace is based on the one from the Hwangnam Daechong (황남대총) Tomb, which is the 5th-century royal tomb of Silla. Bead bracelets and golden earrings are based on Silla artifects displayed at the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Gyeongju.

Inpyeong is chewing beef jerky. Jerky is one of the oldest forms of meat preservation around the world, and in the case of Silla, it is attested in written sources like Samguk sagi (삼국사기). He is resting his arm on the armrest called Bing Gwe (빙궤[凭几]). Armrests are frequently seen in Goguryeo (Northern Korea) tomb murals.

Inpyeong’s clothing is based on the recently excavated Silla tomb, Jjoksaemjigu Tomb No. 44 (쪽샘지구 44호분). The National Museum of Gyeongju has conducted an archaeological survey of this tomb since 2014, and they published a final report in July 2023. This tomb was built in the late 5th century, and its owner is a young princess around the age of ten. The intricate pattern of Inpyeong’s clothing are from the princess’s golden shoes. Fragments of textile were found inside the shoes, so reconstruction of the complete fabric was possible. The checker-patterned clothing can be seen in tomb murals from Goguryeo, too.

The rug and hanging calligraphy in the background are based on the ones from Shosoin, Japan. These intricate 8th-century wool rugs, totaling forty-five, are the imports from Silla based on the accompanied documents.