Wooden Prayer Tablet, Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 18th century, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Hong Seok Kim

From the Collection: Wooden Prayer Tablet

October 1, 2018

Tablets, called weonpae, were used as ritual objects in Buddhist temples. They were often inscribed with prayer requests or the names of the Buddha and bodhisattvas. The prayer on this tablet has been written in gold leaf with faint traces of the characters 世子 (seja), which means "crown prince." Even though Confucianism was the official ideology of the Joseon dynasty, the Buddhist religion maintained its hold on the faiths of both the upper and lower classes. 

On view in the Hammer Building, Level 2.