884 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



When a free-born Korean boy reaches the age of 15, he has a small wooden label cut, 

 which he carries with him. This label is made of pear wood or mahogany, and is 

 about 2 inches in length by i inch broad. It is inscribed in Chinese characters. 

 Across the top is the name of the Poii (Chinese jjii) or ward to which the boy belongs. 

 Then in a line below the designation han-ryanfj, " leisure fellow," that is, not in gov- 

 ernment service, and the boy's name with the date of his birth. The date on which 

 the label is made is cut on the reverse. This label must be sealed by an official of 

 the treasury, who brands it with a hot iron and registers the boy's name and other 

 particulars. When a boy enters the Tjin-sd (Chinese, tsiin s^'), he has another tablet 

 cut, this time of boxwood, with bis proper title insteadof li(ni-ry(tng. Upon passing 

 the military or civil examinations, the label is cut from black horn, and upon obtain- 

 ing the first grade an ivory label is permitted. Since writing the above account, 

 which was dictated by Mr. Pak Young Kin, Korean Charge d'Affaires at Washing- 

 ton, I haA^e received from Dr. E. B. Landis, at Chemulpo, two specimens of ho-hpai 



V 



Fig. 192. 



NAME TABLET (Ho-hpai). 



Length, 3f inches. 

 Korea. 



Cat. Xo. 19845, Museum of Archseology, University 

 of Pennsylvania. 



Fig. 193. 

 NAME TABLET (Ho-hpai). 



Length, 3f inches. 

 Korea. 



Cat. No. 19846, Museum of Archseology, 

 University of Pennsylvania. 



(figs. 192, 193), concerning which he gave the following particulars : " I have simply 

 had reproductions made, as they are not in use since the war. They are, however, 

 exact reproductions, with the exception of the magistrate's seal, which was always 

 burnt on the back. At the top, reading from right to left, are the words Ton Hak and 

 Han llyang. These refer to the class of society to which he belongs. The first is 

 "Patrician" and the second "Plebeian." After this follows the name and surname 

 and in the lower corner the year of birth. On the back is the year when the ho-hpai 

 expires. It is renewed every three years. There is another kind called yo-hpai (Plate 

 33), which was n.scd by the servants of the various officials as proof of identity when 

 drawing their monthly wages, which was always paid in kind." Yo-hpai (Chinese, 

 iup'di) is defined in the Diciionaire Corten Frangais as "plaque des soldats surlequelle 

 leur nom est dcrit." The secret agents of the king in Korea, called E-sa (Chinese, 

 ii s:'), used a plate of silver engraved with a horse as an emblem of their royal 

 authority. 



