City and provincial governments and many individual citizens have presented Pope Francis with small gifts prepared with respect and sincerity, returning to him the favor of having visited Korea.

The provincial government of Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong Province) gave the pontiff a grayish-blue powdered celadon vase after he visited the Shrine of Solmoe in the Chungcheongnam-do town of Dangjin on August 15. The celadon craftwork, only produced at the foot of the nearby Gyeryongsan Mountain, has an arabesque, abstract drawing of a fish on it done in oxidized steel over white clay. Such pottery is one of the most renowned artistic assets of the province. The vase, which is 26 centimeters high and 13 centimeters in diameter, is modern and elegant at the same time. "Considering the history and indigenous culture of the area, we chose this grayish-blue powdered celadon vase," said a Chungcheongnam-do government official.



Seosan City presented the pontiff with a miniature version of the Cheonsangyeolchabunyajidok, a stone-carved astronomical chart from the early Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The pope visited the Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground, which is in Seosan City. The original chart, produced in 1395, the fourth year in the reign of King Taejo (r. 1392-1398), is the world's second-oldest astronomical chart. A total of 1,467 stars are carved in different sizes, according to their brightness.

Daejeon City offered the pontiff a miniature version of the local Hanbit Tower after he celebrated a Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption there. The original tower is an observatory built in 1993 for the Daejeon Expo. It symbolizes the past, present and future. The miniature is 30 centimeters tall and 20 centimeters wide.



The Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong Province) government produced a pyrograph portrait of the pope holding a baby. Pope Francis visited the Kkotdongnae, a welfare facility in Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do, on August 16. Pyrography is the process or art of producing designs on wood, leather or other material by using heated tools or a fine flame.

The Eumseong County government gave the pope a handmade fountain pen made of yew tree root so that the pope can travel around the world and send people who are disadvantaged a message of love.

A disabled woman living in the Kkotdongnae in Eumseong produced an embroidered portrait of the pope with thread and fabric she bought with her disability pension. It took three months to finish the work.





There were also presents from many individuals. During the Holy Mass for Peace and Reconciliation held at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul on August 18, elderly women who were victimized as sex slaves by the Japanese military during World War II personally met with the pope and presented him with a painting titled, "A Flower Yet to Bloom," by the late Kim Sun-deok, another one of the victims. They also delivered letters written in English. The painting has an image of Kim herself when she was a young girl and a flower bud yet to bloom.



Lee Young-hee, a designer of Hanbok, traditional Korean attire, presented the pope with arm warmers. Lee is not Catholic, but she wanted to pay respect to the pope and personally produced the traditional arm warmers.

Won Hye-seong, from the Gyeongju Choi clan, gave the pope a rosary she made out of jade, a family treasure passed down for generations. She also sent a letter containing her family motto that, "Nobody should starve in your neighborhood for 40 kilometers around."

These presents will be delivered to the pope through the Daejeon Diocese and through the organizing body for the pope's visit.

By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr