Jade Seal of Empress Myeongseong

This is a royal seal which was made when dedicating the honorary title “The Immensely Meritous” to Empress Myeongseong in 1900, the 4th year of Gwangmu. On the carved surface of the seal Chinese characters are inscribed: “孝慈 元聖 正化 合天 洪功 明成 皇后之寶”, meaning “The Filial and Benevolent, the Origin of Holiness, the Proper in Changes, the Unifier of Heaven, the Immensely Meritorious, and the Sincerely Virtuous Grand Empress Consort Myeongseong.” Royal seals of Joseon royal household were the personal seals for the king’s immediate family 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, serving as a symbol of the power and legitimacy of the royal household. Unlike state seals for diplomatic documents or administrative paperwork, this seal was made not for practical use but ceremonial 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.