Gold Seal of Empress Myeongseong, the Consort of Emperor Gojong

This royal seal was produced when King Gojong declared the foundation of the Korean Empire and proclaimed the deceased queen as “Empress”in 1897, the 1st year of Gwangmu. The engraved surface of the seal reads the “Empress’Seal.”Royal seals of Joseon royal household were the personal seals of the king’s immediate family members, including the queen, crown prince, and consort of the crown prince, as well as the king himself. The seals were offered during state rites such as royal entitlement and bestowal of honorific titles, including posthumous or honorary titles. They represented the power and legitimacy of the royal household. Unlike state seals for diplomatic and administrative documents, Royal seals were made for ceremonial use, not for practical use. The seals were kept in the royal palace and permanently enshrined with its owner in the spirit chamber of the Royal Ancestral Shrine upon the owner’s death.