본고는 大韓帝國期에 제작된 16건 金冊의 현황을 정리하고, 금책의 제작 과정과 樣式的 特徵(材質, 규격, 문양, 書寫式, 繪粧 등)을 관련 儀軌 기록을 통해 살펴보는 데 주력하였다. 아울러 책문의 다양한 존재 양상을 드러내기 위해 금책 筆寫本과 拓印本에 대해서도 살펴보았다. 그 결과 금책은 옥책이나 죽책과 비교하여 재질이나 형태적 차이에서 기인하는 몇 가지 필연적인 결과 외에는 큰 차이를 확인하기 어려웠다. 이는 의례의 견고한 보수성 때문으로 보인다.
1897년 9월 17일, 高宗은 大韓帝國을 宣布하면서 스스로 皇帝에 登極하였다. 이로써 王室儀禮에도 큰 變化를 겪게 되는데, 冊文制度도 그 하나이다. 그동안 王朝國이었던 조선은 왕실의례에, 皇室의 金冊은 사용할 수 없었고, 玉冊과 竹冊만 사용할 수 있었다. 그러나 고종이 황제로 등극하여 明聖王后를 皇后로, 王世子와 王世子嬪을 皇太子와 皇太子妃로 冊封하면서 처음으로 金冊을 사용하였다. 이후 金冊은 1910년 7월 24일 興親王과 興親王妃 冊封에 이르기까지 13년간 총 16件이 제작되었다. 이 기간 동안 玉冊은 尊號, 諡號, 廟號를 올리거나 哀冊으로 사용되었고, 竹冊은 金冊이 그 역할을 대신하면서 더 이상 사용되지 않았다. 또 책문은 1926년 순종이 사망하자 그해 4월 20일 황태자 이은이 尊號 ‘孝皇帝’, 諡號 ‘文溫武寧敦仁誠敬’, 廟號 ‘純宗’을 함께 올린 옥책을 마지막으로 역사에서 사라졌다.
책문은 王(皇)實工藝品이자 儀物인 동시에 일종의 文書이다. 또 왕(황)실 최상위의 특정 인물을 위해 제작된다는 점에서 그 상징적 의미가 매우 크다. 따라서 일반 문서와는 달리 제작이나 취급에 엄격한 통제와 행정 및 의식 절차가 수반되고, 다수의 工匠이 동원된다. 문서의 측면에서도 종이와 먹뿐만 아니라 나무, 각종 금속과 비단, 안료 등이 사용된 복합재질의 문서라는 점이 매우 특징적이다. 본고가 금책을 문서학적 측면에서 주목하면서도 이에 수반되는 행정적·의식적 절차나 材料, 紋樣, 繪粧 등 다양한 문제를 다룬 것도 이러한 책문의 복합적인 성격 때문이다.
This paper focuses on organizing the current status of the 16 gold investiture books created during the era of the Korean Empire and reviewing the manufacturing process and structural characteristics (materials, size, design, format, and decorative binding, etc.) of these gold books by examining related records on royal protocols. Simultaneously, hand-copied editions and rubbing editions of the abovementioned gold investiture books are examined in order to reveal the diverse conditions of letters of investiture. This paper concentrates on gold investiture books from the aspect of diplomatics but it also deals with various other issues involved with gold investiture books such as administrative and ritual procedures or materials, design, and decorative binding, etc. due to the complex characteristics of these letters of investiture.
On September 17, 1897, Gojong ascended to the status of emperor by proclaiming the beginning of the Korean Empire. Royal protocols thereby had to undergo great changes, of which the letter of investiture system was one. Until then, it was forbidden for Joseon, as a dynastic kingdom, to use gold investiture books, which only the imperial household could use; Joseon could only use jade or bamboo investiture books during royal protocols. And because Gojong’s status changed to that of emperor, gold investiture books were used for the very first time during the investiture of Queen Myeongseong, crown prince, and crown princess as empress, imperial crown prince, and imperial crown princess, respectively. Since then, in the following 13 years until the investiture of King Heungchin and Queen Heungchin on July 24, 1910, a total of 16 gold investiture books were produced. During this period, jade investiture books were used for granting eulogistic titles, posthumous titles, and posthumous shrine titles, or as official eulogy upon death, but bamboo investiture books were no longer used after gold investiture books took over their role. In addition, jade investiture books were used for the last time by imperial crown prince Yi Eun to honor Sunjong with the eulogistic title of "Emperor of Filial Piety," posthumous title of "Emperor Who Reviews What Has Been Learned, Protects Peace with Arms, Cultivates the People with Benevolence, and Reveres Ancestors with Sincerity," and posthumous shrine title of "Emperor of Purity" on April 20, 1926, upon the death of Sunjong, and letters of investiture disappeared into history in the same year.
Letters of investiture are not only artistic crafts and ritual utensils of the royal (imperial) household but act simultaneously as a type of official document. Furthermore, the symbolic significance attached to them is great because they are created for a few specific persons at the top tier of the royal (imperial) household. Unlike other official documents, therefore, the production or handling of these documents is accompanied by strict control and administrative and ritual procedures, as well as mobilization of many artisans. As type of document, these documents are unique in that composite materials such as wood, various metals and silk, and pigments were used on top of paper and ink.
As a result of this research, it was found that there does not seem to be much difference between gold, jade, and bamboo investiture books other than a few minor differences arising from variations in materials used or state of existence. The fact that little difference exists between the various investiture books may be related to the strongly conservative nature of royal protocols.