CHO, Tal-sik 趙達植.

Yagam munjip 若菴文集 [Collection of Writings by Yagam].

Printed with wooden movable type. 71 folding leaves. Three kwŏn in one vol. Large 8vo, orig. patterned pale brown wrappers (a little frayed around extremities), new stitching. Korea: 1912.

First and only edition of poetry and prose collection by the late Chŏson scholar Cho Tal-sik (1813–50; pen name Yagam or “Small Hermitage”), posthumously compiled and printed by his grandson Cho Yeong-gyu in 1912. The work opens with a Preface by renowned scholar Song Byeong-hwa 宋炳華 (1852–1916), dated to the latter half of the ninth lunar month, 1912, and closes with a Postscript by Cho Tal-sik’s descendant Cho Seok-je 趙錫濟 (1848–1925), another prominent intellectual.

This compilation includes 71 poems and various forms of prose — letters, admonitions, memorial writings, biographical sketches, and an appendix with notable records such as “Yagamgi” 若菴記. The content ranges from an evocative contemplative work on the landscape to as admonitions for self-cultivation, ritual essays, biographical sketches, and in the appendix, records of Cho’s later life. Particularly poignant are pieces like “Tanse” 歎世, which laments the difficulties of maintaining personal integrity in a turbulent world.

The book not only preserves Cho Tal-sik’s literary achievements but also documents the familial reverence and scholarly efforts that culminated in its posthumous publication. Little information is known about Cho himself. Nevertheless, Yagam munjip stands out for the laudatory Preface and Postscript by leading scholars aligned in their shared philosophy of retreating into nature and scholarly seclusion as an answer to the overwhelming realities of late Chŏson society.

Very good copy. Only Harvard has a copy outside Korea.

Price: $2,750.00

Item ID: 11165