This bronze figure, also called the “bronze man” (銅人), had been stored in Changdeok Palace. Twelve meridians on the surface of the human body are marked with lines along the front and the back of the torso, arms, legs and head. A total of 354 acupuncture points are clearly marked along these meridians. On top of the figure’s head, there is a circular 1cm-hole and a pair of 4mm-holes on either side of each.

The figure seems to have been made for testing the skills of an acupuncturer. It was presumably dipped in molten wax in order to conceal the markings on the surface and filled with water or mercury through the hole on the top of the head, so that the liquid would ooze out when a needle pierced the correct spot.