Memorial Sevice of the Jongga
The most important responsibilities placed on a jongga ("head family") are to carry on a family line and to hold memorial services for ancestors. The eldest daughter-in-law has had four sons, so fulfilled the first responsibility. In spite of her advanced age of over 60, she still remains in charge of many memorial services. She employs ritual utensils of white porcelain, brass and wood for controlling the taste and temperature of ritual food according to the season. Moreover, for the memorial service of Ori Yi Wonik on October 24th of the lunar calendar, she used to prepare ritual food before dawn drawing water from a well in the sondolchuwi ("the severe cold around October 20th of the lunar calendar"). While strict formalities of the memorial service have been gradually simplified with the lapse of time, there are a large number of ritual utensils in Chunghyeon Museum which have been passed on over three hundred years.
Table for Memorial Service
44.0×126.0×98.5cm
It is a table to serve food on for a memorial service. This table has been used for memorial services at Ori Yeong-u since about 300 years ago. Although it was worn out as the jongga holds memorial services for many times a year, this table is in fair preservation thanks to being lacquered. A strong spirit dwells in the table that was used by a distinguished family who takes much of ceremony. Now is a new table furnished at Ori Yeong-u.
Lacquered Candleholder and Incense Burner Table
Lacquered candleholder 59.6cm, Incense burner table 39.5×22.6×38.7cm
이The candleholder was placed in the third line of the memorial service table and the small table was used to put an incense burner, an incense box, and a liquor bottle on it. Both of the two used to be in Ori Yeong-u from about 300 years ago; now, they are on exhibition in the museum.
Ritual Utensil Chest(祭器之櫃)
34.0 × 63.5 × 44.5cm
This chest for wooden ritual utensils was usually housed in the attic of the women's main room in the jongga. Ritual utensils are very important so that they should be kept in a chest safely and handed down for generations as a family treasure. The name, "祭器之櫃" engraved in intaglio in the front of the chest clearly tells its importance as well as its use.
Wooden Ritual Utensils
14.3×7.5cm
These are ritual utensils that are used to arrange foods for memorial services; however, the ritual utensils serve as not only mere vessels but also a material symbol of the jongga ceremony. While they are instruments to express thanks and high regards to the ancestors and the nature, the ritual utensils stand for the history and economics of the family. These wooden ritual utensils were used all through the general memorial services offered in the jongga.
Lacquered Ritual Utensils
Large-sized ritual utensil 19.3×20.9cm, Small-sized ritual utensil 13.7×10.7cm
These utensils were used through several generations and sometimes used for containing soup. At present, however, they are cracked and split, so they can not be used any more in real life. Nevertheless, they are regarded invaluable in the family.
White Porcelain Ritual Utensils
Large-sized ritual vessel 8.3×7.9cm, Medium-sized ritual vessel 5.9×6.9cm, Small-sized ritual vessel 4.2×6.7cm
The white porcelain ritual vessels were used to pile up foods such as rice cakes or fruits. The largest one goes by the Jejamyeong vessel, which means the vessel has an inscription of "祭 (je)." Although they are cracked and faded, the faint color of vessels rather seems to represent the virtuous tradition of the family.
Incense Burner and Incense Box
Left 16×11.5cm, Right 9×8.5cm
The incense burner and box placed in row, in front of the memorial service table, are ones of precious treasures handed down through generations. Even though the incense burner has one ear off and many cracks in it, its white color and stable shape make us feel the piousness of the memorial service.
Dish for Rice Cake
23×8.3cm
This wooden square dish is a ritual vessel used for serving rice cakes. The eldest daughter-in-law of the jongga used to pile up rice cakes high on this dish, decorate it with garnish, and then wrap it in paper to prevent it from becoming dry for a memorial service held on the following early morning.
Wooden Tray
76×45×8cm
The square wooden tray was used for carrying foods to Ori Yeong-u for memorial services. Sometimes it was also used for containing rice cakes.
