Honorable Mention for the 2024 James B. Palais Prize for English-Language Scholarly books published on Korea from the Association for Asian Studies
Winner of the 2022 Patricia Buckley Ebrey Prize sponsored by the American Historical Association
An eye-opening journey through time in Korea's "Diamond Mountains"
North Korea's Kumgangsan is one of Asia's most celebrated sacred mountain ranges, comparable in fame to Mount Tai in China and Mount Fuji in Japan. Carving Status at Kumgangsan marks a paradigm shift in the research about East Asian mountains by introducing an entirely new field: autographic rock graffiti. The book details how late Choson (ca. 1600-1900 CE) Korean elite travelers used Kumgangsan to demonstrate their high social status by carving inscriptions, naming sites, and joining the literary pedigree of visitors to renowned locales. Such travel practices show how social competition emerged in the spatial context of a landscape. Hence, Carving Status at Kumgangsan argues for an expansion of accepted historical narratives on travel and mountain space in premodern East Asia. Rather than interpreting pilgrimage routes as exclusively religious or tourist, in Kumgangsan's case they were also an important site of collective memory.
A journey to Kumgangsan to view and contribute to its sites of memory was an endeavor that late Choson Koreans hoped to achieve in their lives. Based on multidisciplinary research drawing on literary writings, court records, gazetteers, maps, songs, calligraphy, and paintings, Carving Status at Kumgangsan is the first historical study of this practice. It will appeal to scholars in fields ranging from East Asian history, literature, and geography, to pilgrimage studies and art history.
*Winner of the 2022 Patricia Buckley Ebrey Prize for a distinguished book on the history of China proper, Vietnam, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, Manchuria, Korea, or Japan, prior to 1800, sponsored by the American Historical Association
Rezensionen / Stimmen
"Carving Status at Kumgangsan is the first study in a Western language devoted exclusively to carved rock inscriptions at thousands of scenic and historical sites of Kumgangsan in North Korea, a currently inaccessible site to most people. The author's thoughtful analysis of carefully selected cases from rock carvings, maps, paintings, and board games brings insightful perspectives of the culture of journey, religious and secular visions of Kumgangsan, history of calligraphy, and material culture relevant to travel in the late Joseon era."
(Seoul Journal of Korean Studies) "Stiller's work provides a wealth of valuable insights into the history of social status, travel, and cultural production in mid-tolate Choson Dynasty Korea. Carving Status at Kumgangsan is also a beautiful example of book production--elegantly laid-out, and richly illustrated with photographs and reproductions of paintings and calligraphy."
(Asian Studies Review) "Through her analysis of rock carvings, literary documents, and other visual materials, Stiller has uncovered a new layer of cultural history related to Kumgang-san."
(Acta Koreana) "Carving Status at Kumgangsan opens new avenues for understanding the social functions of public inscriptions and the role of travel in shaping elite identity in premodern Korea. By highlighting the ways in which elite travelers used Kumgangsan as a canvas for self-expression and social affirmation, Maya Stiller invites readers to reconsider the cultural significance of pilgrimage and travel in the Choson period. This book is an essential reading for anyone interested in Korean history, art history, or cultural studies, offering a rich tapestry of insights into the complex social landscape of premodern Korea. For scholars and students alike, Maya Stiller's work provides a compelling example of how physical spaces can serve as powerful sites of memory, identity, and cultural expression, even across the boundaries of time and political division."
(International Journal of Buddhist Thought & Culture) "Illuminates Choson cultural practices and social memory, offering a distinctive perspective on Korean history."
(Religious Studies Review)
Maya K. H. Stiller is associate professor of Korean art and visual culture at the University of Kansas.
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