국립중앙박물관 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

Joseon Metal Type for Hangeul Translation of Shurangama Sutra (Sutra of the Heroic One)

These metal types, the earliest extant types from the Joseon period, were used to print the Hangeul translation of Surangama Sutra, published in 1461, the seventh year of King Sejo’s reign. The types are estimated to have been made between 1455 and 1461. The types are virtually flat on the backside, and they differ from later types in terms of the font and the overall form.