‘Aeildang’ is the hanging wooden plaque of the pavilion built by Yi Hyeonbo (1467-1555, pen name Nongam) in 1512 (7th year of King Jungjong) near Nongam Rock on the bank of Bungang River in Buncheon-ri, Dosan-myeon, Andong. To provide his father consolations of old age, Yi organized a family gathering called Gurohoe with elderly members of his family and built this pavilion for them to get together. The term “Aeil,” which literally means valuing each day, was taken from “Filial Devotion” of Exemplary Sayings by the Han Dynasty writer Yang Xiong, that runs as follows: “One who served his father and mother and yet knew in himself that it was not enough—wasn’t this Shun? That which can not be prolonged enough—this is called serving one’s parents. A filial son values each day he has with them. [事父母自知不足者 其舜乎 不可得而久者 事親之謂也 孝子愛日]” Thus the name reflects Yi Hyeonbo’s grief for the limited time to serve his parents.
The calligraphy letters were written in the square style by an unknown hand, but there have been some versions of story regarding the calligraphy. According to a version, the legends has it that a second most noted calligrapher in China wrote the script. Another version tells a story that after a big flood in the river had swept away the whole building of the pavilion, a fisherman went fishing in the river to find something glittering on the water, which turned out to be the hanging wooden plaque of ‘Aeildang.’
The characters are wider than they are tall. While the strokes of the upper part are strong and big, those of the lower part are forceful and small. The brushwork truthfully follows techniques of traditional styles, but it is also bold in handling some parts such as the right joint of ‘⼧’ in ‘堂’ and the upper right corner of ‘日.’ The composition is well balanced with the small ‘日’ in the center accompanied by two wider characters ‘愛’ and ‘堂’ on both sides.