▲ Patriotic martyr Ahn Jung-geun’s calligraphy "Baegin Dangjung Yutaehwa (“Peace and Harmony Reside in a Home Built on a Hundred Acts of Patience”)" is displayed alongside a printed copy of his death sentence. Photo courtesy of K Auction. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, June 12 (Yonhap) -- A calligraphic work left by independence activist Ahn Jung-geun while imprisoned in Lushun will be offered at auction later this month, marking the first time a state-designated treasure among his writings has appeared on the domestic auction market.

 

K Auction said Friday it will hold its June auction at its headquarters in Seoul's Gangnam district on June 24, featuring 107 lots with a combined estimated value of about 12 billion won (US$8.8 million).

 

The highlight of the sale is Ahn's handwritten work "Baekin Dangjung Yutaehwa," created in 1910 at Lushun Prison. Designated Treasure No. 569-1, it was selected as the first item when 26 pieces of Ahn's calligraphy were collectively designated as treasures in 1972.

 

Written shortly after he was sentenced to death, the inscription conveys the message that "peace and harmony reside in a household that practices patience a hundred times."

 

The lower part of the work bears Ahn's distinctive handprint made with his left hand after he had severed the ring finger in a symbolic act of resistance.

 

Also to be offered is a printed copy of the death sentence issued on Feb. 14, 1910. The pairing of the official court document with the calligraphic work gives the lot exceptional historical significance.

 

The items were acquired in Manchuria during the Japanese colonial period and preserved by a single family for more than a century. They will be unveiled to the public for the first time through the auction, with a starting price of 1.6 billion won.

 

Another notable lot is "Ink Orchid Painting and Colophon" by Kim Jeong-hui, a renowned scholar and calligrapher of the late Joseon Dynasty. Estimated at 200 million won to 350 million won, the work showcases the simplicity and literati spirit characteristic of the artist, better known by his pen name Chusa.

 

▲ Kim Jeong-hui’s "Orchid Painting" and "Inscription (Mukrando·Jebal)." Photo courtesy of K Auction. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

Among modern and contemporary works, "Mountain," painted in 1974 by abstract art pioneer Yoo Young-kuk, is expected to fetch between 500 million won and 800 million won. The composition, featuring layered colors and a green triangular mountain contrasted with orange and red tones, evokes the energy of nature.

 

Works by Lee U-fan, including "From Point" and "Correspondence," as well as Park Seo-bo's early "Ecriture" piece "No. 1-82," will also be offered.

 

All auction items will be on public view free of charge at the K Auction exhibition hall from June 13 through the day of the sale.

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]