Placenta Jars and Tablet for Granddaughter of King Seonjo (r. 1567-1608)

During the Joseon Dynasty, it was believed that preserving the tae (placenta and umbilical cord) of a newborn baby would ensure a healthy, advantageous life for the child. This practice was of particular importance for the royal family, who would usually enshrine the tae of a newborn prince or princess in a place known to be very auspicious, such as the top of a mountain. The tae would be sealed inside a small jar, which was then sealed in a larger jar like this one, usually made from plain white porcelain with four small handles near the top. Then that jar was placed in a special chamber called a taesil (胎室, literally “room of tae”), along with a tablet recording the birth date and date of the enshrinement. This particular jar and tablet commemorate the birth of the second daughter of Inheunggun, the twelfth son of King Seonjo (r. 1567- 1608).