‘Doeungutaek’ is the hanging wooden plaque of Doeun Head House in Beopjeon, Kang Clan from Jinju in Cheokgok-ri, Beopjeon-myeon, Bonghwa-gun. After the Second Manchu Invasion of Korea in 1636, Kang Gak (1620-1657, pen name Doeun), a native of Paju in Kyeongido, moved to the southern countryside of Beopjeon area and lived in retirement in a house. The house was named ‘Doeun’ after the owner’s pen name and later underwent reconstruction a few times in 1798 and again about 60 years ago from now. Both Kang Gak and his eldest brother Kang Heup (1602-1671, pen name Jameun) admired the high integrity of Tao Qian (365-427, 陶潜, Korean pronunciation Dojam), a famous Chinese recluse poet from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Hence, their pen names were derived from the poet’s surname ‘Do’ and his given name ‘Jam’ respectively, which reveals how strong their resolution was to emulate the poet’s loyalty and fidelity.
The calligraphy letters were written in the square style by Kim Heesu (1760-1848, pen name Dongwon), who was the father-in-law of Kang Myungyu (1801-1867, pen name Yugye), a seventh generation descendant of Kang Gak. This is an orderly and strong script with forceful strokes. Both strokes and characters are evenly spaced, revealing the script’s strick adherence to the standards. The arrangement of four large characters maintains a good balance so as to allow the smooth flow of the lively energy.