Empress Myeongseong is the consort of King – and later Emperor – Gojong and a daughter of Min Chi-rok, who was posthumously made honorary prime minister and entitled Prince Father-in-Law of Yeoseong Prefecture” (Yeoseong-buwon’gun, 驪城府院君). She was born in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, in the Min family of Yeoheung. She was married to King Gojong in 1866 and was murdered on 2 August of 1895 by the Japanese who conspired the incident, known as Eulmi Sabyeon. In 1897, her posthumous title was presented as Empress “Myeongseong” (明成).

According to the Royal Protocol of the Great Ceremony (Daerye-uigwe, 大禮儀軌), the account of King Gojong’s proclamation of the Korean Empire and his enthronement as emperor, this “Seal of Empress” (皇后之寶) was cast in gold and gilded on its entire surface. The shape of the handle also changed to a dragon biting an orb instead of the former tradition of a tortoise. Among the seals featuring dragon handles in Korea, only those produced during the Korean Imperial period survive.