Korean Choson Dynasty Matchlock Gun - Ganghwa Armory

Status: Sold · Region: China, East Asia, Tibet · Type: Antiques

An important and historically significant firearm. Korean firearms are rare in any condition, and are almost always mis-attributed as Japanese due to the strong similarity in design and construction between the two.

This example, essentially in pristine condition is the finest known Korean armory matchlock, with numerous inscriptions attesting to its importance as a historically signficant research object. The design is a standard Korean style matchlock, mounted in wood with brass fittings and an octogonal iron barrel.

The stock of this example is etched with Korean kanji characters 辛丑改備江華庫藏 that translate to "stored at the renewed Ganghwa armory in the sinchuk year." The year sinchuk refers to dates separated by sixty-year intervals. For instance, 1841, 1781, 1721, 1661, etc. The Ganghwa armory was around at least from the late seventeenth century, so this gun, likely dates to either the year 1841 or 1901.

The Ganghwa armory is a fortress built in the 7th year during the reign of King Hyojong (1656) to defend the marine attacks from the foreign enemy named the Wae, today's Japan. Its former past self was Manhoyeong (a navy encampment called Manho) located at Chojiryang Town in Ansan district and in 1666 Chojiryangyeong (a camp named Chojiryang) instituted in a different region was moved to and organized in there while it was raised to the status of Jin (a division of soldiers) from Yeong (a regiment). During the 19th century, the inferior of overall fighting power on the Joseon side allowed this enabled U.S. troops to occupy the fortress during a battle in 1871 and at that time, all the military institutions including an armory and a powder magazine were destroyed.

Many of the Korean arms and armor in the Smithsonian Institution were captured during this 1871 U.S. - Korean skirmishes around this island, including at least one matchlock.

Most interestingly, when the barrel is disassembled there are a number of additional markings on the underside of the barrel and the wood stock. The markings at the barrel breech are the names of the artisans, in accordance with a Joseon 1728 dated that stipulated that, in response to a rebellion armed with muskets, all armory pieces thereafter to be marked and inscribed for tighter control—names of the artisans. The breech marking translates as : "Blacksmith Samchang, Borer Oksŏn." The three characters on the stock refer to another name, "Kim Sihŭng," which is a common name; his position/title is not given, unfortunately. The four characters above this name are indecipherable. The other marks—on the barrel and (top?) of the stock—don't seem to be characters and are likely proof marks.

An important object for the Korean arms and armor connoisseur.

Research for this article was kindly conducted and provided by H. H. Kang, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA).