The Borugak Jagyeongnu ("Water Clock of Borugak Pavilion"), classified as a scientific instrument, is the 229th

National Treasure of South Korea National Treasure () is a national-level designation within the Heritage preservation in South Korea, heritage preservation system of South Korea for tangible objects of significant artistic, cultural and historical value. Examples of objects inc ...

and was designated by the South Korean government on March 3, 1985. The

water clock A water clock, or clepsydra (; ; ), is a timepiece by which time is measured by the regulated flow of liquid into (inflow type) or out from (outflow type) a vessel, and where the amount of liquid can then be measured. Water clocks are some of ...

is currently held and managed by the National Palace Museum of Korea in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. It dates to the time of

King Sejong Sejong (; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), commonly known as Sejong the Great (), was the fourth monarch of the Joseon, Joseon dynasty of Korea. He is regarded as the greatest ruler in Korean history, and is remembered as the inventor of Hangu ...

of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

. Water clocks have a long history of use in Korea with the first mention of one in the records of the

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk sagi'' () is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Completed in 1145, it is well-known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history. The ''Samguk sagi'' is written in Classical ...

during the

Three Kingdoms era The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Western Jin dynasty. Academically, the ...

. In 1434, during the reign of

King Sejong the Great Sejong (; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), commonly known as Sejong the Great (), was the fourth monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He is regarded as the greatest ruler in Korean history, and is remembered as the inventor of Hangul, the n ...

a water clock was made by

Jang Yeong-sil Jang Yeong-sil (; ; ? – after 1442) was a Korean mechanical engineer, scientist, and inventor during the Joseon dynasty. He was born to a mother who was a government-registered courtesan () and a father of Yuan dynasty descent. Although Jang ...

which would mark the hour automatically with the sounds of a bell, gong, and drum. That clock, Jagyeokru ("self-striking water clock"), was used to keep the standard of time in the Joseon Dynasty. The clock was not preserved well and so in 1536, King Jungjong ordered the clock remade and improved which was done by Yu Jeon. Today, only three water bowls and two cylindrical water containers survive from the 1434 version of the clock, and no records mentioning its existence. Extensive records of 1536 version remain, and it is believed that the two clocks were very similar. In its current configuration the large bronze cylindrical water containers are 93.5 centimeters in diameter and 70 centimeters in height. The smaller ceramic vessels are 46.0 centimeters and 40.5 centimeters in height. The two bases for the ceramic vessels still survived in the Myeongjeonjeon Hall of

Changgyeonggung Palace Changgyeonggung () is a palace located in Seoul, South Korea. The palace was built in the mid-15th century by King Sejong for his father, Taejong. It was originally named "Suganggung", but it was renovated and enlarged in 1483 by King Seongjong ...

. A third version of the clock was built in 2007. The

worked by having water poured into the largest bronze vessel which flowed into the smaller vessels which then flowed into the long water tanks. When the water level rose to the appropriate level, a floating rod touched a lever device which caused a ball to roll and hit another ball at the other end. The rolling ball would trigger the gong, bell, drum, and even a wooden puppet which marked the hour with a placard. The

clepsydra Clepsydra may refer to: * Clepsydra, an alternative name for a water clock A water clock, or clepsydra (; ; ), is a timepiece by which time is measured by the regulated flow of liquid into (inflow type) or out from (outflow type) a vessel, an ...

does not work today because only the water holding vessels have survived. However, it is valuable because of the scientific and cultural information it holds and because there are only few examples of ancient automatic water clocks. It is the oldest and largest surviving clock of its kind.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Cultural Heritage: Water Clock of Borugak Pavilion

A description of the clock
Science and technology in Joseon National Treasures of South Korea Water clocks Gyeongbokgung

See also

References

External links