[Provided by Keimyung University]
[Provided by Keimyung University]

The Haengso Museum at Keimyung University in Daegu will open a special exhibition on Joseon royal taesil culture Monday, running through Nov. 7.

The exhibition, titled "Tae: Honoring the Eternity of the Royal House," was organized jointly with the Bucheon City Museum as part of the 2026 K-Museum Support Project, a program promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Museum Association.

The Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province region is home to roughly 30 percent of all taesil — royal placenta shrines — from the Joseon period.

On display will be a newly excavated placenta jar belonging to Princess Sinsaeng, along with taesil artifacts from the Bucheon City Museum's collection, a taejiseok (placenta stone tablet) of King Danjong, a buncheong ware lid, and a standard portrait photograph of Danjong.

The exhibition is divided into four sections. The first, "Birth: Connecting One Another," examines the nationwide distribution of taesil and the taesil culture of the Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province and Gyeonggi Province regions. The second, "Tae: Recorded," introduces the structure of placenta jars, the enshrinement procedures and the evolution of Joseon-era placenta jars through artifacts and video.

The third section, "Taesil: Inscribing the Wish of Birth," marks the first public showing in Daegu of a white porcelain placenta jar excavated from the tomb complex of Princess Sinsaeng in Bucheon, shedding light on the birth of a royal princess and the taesil tradition.

The fourth section, "Where Memory Rests, Heritage Is Born," features Danjong's taejiseok and the buncheong ware lid that once covered his placenta jar, alongside the taejiseok of Prince Geumseong, a stoneware placenta jar and buncheong ware bowl and lid belonging to Prince Hwaeui, and a buncheong ware lid associated with Prince Yeongpung.

The exhibition also incorporates the infant taesil of Danjong in Seongju, a standard portrait of Danjong, photographic materials of Cheongnyeongpo and Jangneung in Yeongwol, and documents related to Yeongwol's local official Eom Heung-do and the Sayuksin — the six martyred scholars.

Special lectures and field trips will be held during the exhibition period.

On Oct. 21, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Lee Jae-wan, director of the Yecheon Museum, will deliver a special lecture on taesil culture in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. A cultural heritage field trip will be scheduled separately.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including public holidays. Admission is free.

"The Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province region has the largest concentration of surviving Joseon royal taesil, making it a vital place for understanding the history and regional character of taesil culture," said Kim Kwon-gu, director of the Haengso Museum. "We hope this exhibition gives visitors a chance to encounter locally excavated artifacts in one place and to see taesil through fresh eyes."


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