National Museum of Korea

World
Civilizations

Quarterly Magazine
Series Quarterly Magazine published by
National Museum of Korea

The Silk Road Vol.13 Autumn 2010

and

Vol.13 Autumn 2010

Dunhuang

Date December 18, 2010 – April 3, 2011

Venue Special Exhibition Gallery
National Museum of Korea

The Silk Road and Dunhuang is the fifth special exhibition of the World Civilization Series. The collection for the
first ever special exhibition dedicated to the Silk Road to be held in Korea includes some 200 Silk Road related
artifacts coming from various museums around the world. In particular, Wang-ocheonchukgukjeon 往五天竺國傳
(Memoir of the Pilgrimage to the Five Kingdoms of India), a travelogue by Silla monk Hyecho 慧超, 704-787 in possession
of the National Library of France, is to make the first public appearance not only in Korea but also internationally.
Written in the early 8th century, Wang-ocheonchukgukjeon is the earliest travelogue by a Korean, and
presented to the Korean public for the first time in 1,283 years since the literature left the Korean peninsula. In
addition, recent discoveries from various parts of China will be introduced.
The Silk Road and Dunhuang is anticipated to contribute to enhancing the public awareness and
understanding about changes and development of world civilization.

ISSN: 2005-1123
d i r e c t o r ' s m e s s a g e c o n t e n t s

NMK has made multi-dimensional The Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist  

Special Columns: News &
endeavors to be reshaped into an Painting will cast light on another aspect
In celebration of Miscellaneous
environment-friendly open space for the of the Goryeo period culture which has
the fifth anniversary of
public over the past years. The initiative is been steadily covered by the magazine. The
the NMK relocation to Yongsan
well received by the visitors who appreciate feature exhibition whose collection includes
NMK as a cultural complex that presents some masterpieces of the Goryeo Buddhist
02 nmk today 04
diverse cultural experiences. painting that have never been showcased  
This year marks the fifth anniversary before will be a rare opportunity to gain a Masterpieces of Golden Splendors :
of the museum’s relocation to Yongsan. In full perspective of the East Asian Buddhist Goryeo Buddhist The Royal Tomb of Silla,
commemoration, the museum completed culture in the medieval age. Painting Hwangnamdaechong
the overall improvement of the galleries to NMK was elected to be the president
offer enhanced exhibition experience and of the Asia-Europe Museum Network
greater convenience to the visitors, and (ASEMUS) with the tenure of four years 06 feature exhibition 12 nmk exhibition
prepared a variety of special programs. The from 2011 to 2014 at the ASEMUS General   
Joseon: Folding Screen of Conveying
Joseon Room that opened in last August, Conference. The museum is also selected
An Era Marked by the Royal Procession the Beautiful
in particular, added recent discoveries and as the venue for the reception and working
Idealism and to the Royal Tomb at Landscapes
artifacts that are first to be introduced to dinner of the G20 Seoul Summit 2010 that
Tradition Hwaseong of Joseon
the public so that the visitors can better takes place in Seoul in November. While
understand the life and culture of the these are the fruits of NMK’s untiring
16 theme essay 22 curator´s choice 24 theme collection
Joseon period. Accordingly, the autumn pursuit of expanded international exchange
  
issue of the NMK magazine features articles and drive to realize an ideal space for Mutually Prosperous Conservation The British Museum’s
that introduce the representative relics, multiple cultural activities, the achievement Relationship Treatment of Foundation Gallery
arts, and crafts of the Joseon period. would have not been possible, were it not between NMK and the Gilt-Bronze Crown
for the trust and affectionate attention from Cultural Foundation
the public.

32 people 34 in focus 36 explore

Thank you.   
“I'd like to write “Finding the Goguryeo Exhibitions &
an article about cults of History and Culture” Publications
Bodhisattvas in the
Korean art”

38 nmk visitors 39 nmk education 40 nmk news

  

Quarterly Magazine published by

National Museum of Korea
Vol.13 Autumn 2010

Choe, Kwang-shik Publisher National Museum of Korea

135 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 140-026, Korea
Director-General, Tel: (82 2) 2077-9253 / Fax: (82 2) 2077-9258 / E-mail: innie2005@korea.kr
National Museum of Korea Editorial Direction National Museum of Korea Publishing Team
Design and Production Ahn Graphics Inc., Editorial Team
Autumn 2010 Translation / Revision Timothy V. Atkinson & Christin Jung / Lee Mi-jin
Donggwoldo Painting of the Eastern Palace (detail)
National Museum of Korea, a quarterly magazine, abides by the principles set forth by the Korean Committee for Ethics
Joseon, 19th century
in Book and Magazine Publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
273.o × 576.o cm
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval
Korea University Museum
system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
National Treasure No. 249
Printed in Korea Copyright © 2010 National Museum of Korea. All rights reserved. ISSN: 2005-1123
n m k t o d a y
Special Columns:
In celebration of the fifth anniversary of the NMK relocation to Yongsan
Museums in an era of
communication
and globalization
Written by Rhee Boa
Professor of Sogang University
It has been already five years since NMK
nested in the new location in Yongsan.
What differences have been made? The
first and foremost change for the better
is increased in the number of visitors
induced by better products and quality
services.
NMK greeted its 10 millionth visitor
in 008, a year that marked the third
2
anniversary of NMK in Yongsan as
well as the centennial of the Imperial
Household Museum, the first modern
museum in Korea. In the following year,
the total number of visitors recorded
a per-annum growth rate of 0.6% to
2
,75 ,654 from , 8 ,4 5 of 008. Notably,
2
3
2
2
3
2
2
the number of foreign visitors grew by
6.0% to 119, 99 from 94,766 during the
2
3
same period and the number of visitors
in the extended opening hours reported
a whopping growth rate of 111.0%. These
statistics reflect NMK’s diverse endeavors
to attract foreign museum-goers and the
changed attitude of the general public
that has started to perceive the museum
as a friendly place for relaxing. Finally,
the number of people who accessed the
NMK homepage was tallied at 4, 06,818.
2
0 
These impressive achievements were
covered by the Art Newspaper in its April
010 issue. According to the 009 survey
2
2
on the world’s museums by the UK-based
magazine was ranked 1st in Asia and 10th
in the world in terms of the number of
visitors. In addition, special exhibition
Egypt, the Great Civilization was ranked
the world’s nd in the Ancient Artifacts
2
category and the Korea Museum, 100 Years
in Remembrance came in 7th globally
in the Asian Exhibitions category for
daily average attendance. The Korea
Museum, 100 Years in Remembrance was
particularly well received, providing a
good reason for NMK to be optimistic
about the future demand for exhibitions
of Korean cultural properties.
NMK is striving to narrow the
physical and perceived psychological
distance with the public by facilitating
communications through diverse
offline, online, and mobile media. For
starters, NMK publishes the monthly
Museum News and the quarterly National
Museum of Korea. NMK also provides
diverse museum contents via the NMK
webzine called Muzine and the museum
homepage, as well as mobile platforms.
The retrospect of the development over
the past five years confirms that NMK
has entered a stable trajectory where the
activities of NMK are well aligned with
the strategic goals of popularization,
globalization, and informatization.
Now is the time to get ready for a long-
term journey by solidifying the stability
through a thorough review of the
performance by division or by project.
At the same time, NMK should pay
more attention to defining, developing,
and retaining ideal relationships
with diverse counterparts in society
– visitors, expert groups, partnered
museums at home and abroad, affiliated
organizations, and business corporations
for potential cooperation – to explore new
opportunities to better serve its audiences
with diverse different needs.
Evolution of
our culture contents
and channels
Written by Chung Yeon-sik
Professor of History, Seoul Women's University
When NMK was situated within
Deoksugung 德壽宮
(Palace), there was a
joke running around that the annual
NMK budget for the purchase of new
relics was even smaller than that for the
gatekeepers’ evening snacks. Currently,
the number of cultural treasures under
the NMK roof is in the order of 150,000.
Although the current gallery space is
much wider than in the previous location,
NMK can showcase only a fraction of its
possession. Still, visitors often complain
that their legs are hurt after rushing
around the museum to cover the plenty
of properties in a day.
Times have changed tremendously.
Historical drama TV series and films
are enjoying huge popularity. A flood of
new history books is inundating large
book stores. Behind the renewed public
interest in our history lies the advanced
Internet environment which enables
anybody to access to the original text
(in Chinese characters) and the Korean
translation of the Annals of the Joseon
Dynasty, 朝鮮王朝實錄
the annual records of
the Joseon which were kept from 141 to
3
1865, also known as The True Record of the
Joseon Dynasty. Even without borrowing
the words of Alvin Toffler, it is obvious
that a sea change triggered by the
enormous wave of informatization is just
around the corner.
Awaiting the arrival of a new era,
what should museums do? There is no
denying that technology has caused the
social change. However, technological
development is not sufficient to drive our
museums up to the world stage. Another
essential factor is contents. The most
cost-efficient contents are our authentic
Korean contents, and the central
institutions that control these contents
are museums. The Korean museums
should knock the door to the world with
these contents.
The mandate of a museum does not
stop with showing a wide variety of
objects behind show windows. Museums
should not only organize the display
systemically, but also contribute to
nurturing human resources capable of
using the systemized information on the
world stage.
In NMK, diverse educational
programs, cultural events, and
performances take place all year round.
The special exhibition features exotic
relics from all across the world and
diverse NMK collections often travel
overseas. Today’s museum should be a
birthplace of information and a compiler
of the “Annals of the Internet Age.”
However, museums are still perceived
as places to “display” objects. The most
noticeable change in NMK that happened
after the relocation to Yongsan is the
new format of displaying. The chronicle
display presenting antiquities along the
linear flow of time was adopted first in
008. Since then, the Unified Silla Room
2
and the Balhae Room were renovated to
accommodate the new format, and the
Goryeo Room opened on July 5, 009,
2
2
the same date in 918 when the Goryeo
was founded by King Taejo Wang Geon.
王建, r.918-943
In the following year of 010,
2
the opening of Joseon Room on August 5,
the anniversary of the foundation of the
Joseon by King Taejo Yi Seong-gye,李成桂,
r.1392-1398
completed the “full sequence of
the Korean history,” the ultimate goal set
by NMK when the Goryeo Room opened.
People often say that a decade is a
time period long enough to see changes
even in landscape. If so, the landscape
might be changed by half over the past
five years and will keep changing over the
coming five years. The same is true with
NMK. Changes that NMK has achieved
over the past five years are significant,
but more exciting changes will come over
the next five years.
0 
n m k t o d a y
News
ASEMUS Presidency of NMK

NMK was elected to be the president
institution of the Asia-Europe Museum
Network (ASEMUS) with the tenure
between 011 and 014 at the ASEMUS
2
2
General Conference that took place at
Paris-based Musée de Quai Branly from
September 8 to 10, 010. The incumbent
2
president is Musée de Quai Branly and
the official presidency of NMK starts in
September 011.
2
As the ASEMUS president, NMK will
receive supports from the Asia-Europe
Foundation (ASEF) in Singapore for project
planning and financial implementation.
NMK will also chair the ASEMUS Executive
Committee that plan and implement diverse
projects for academic and other exchange
activities among the member institutions,
facilitating international cooperation
between Asian and European museums in
particular.
It is known that NMK’s ASEMUS
presidency is a result of the recognition by
the world museum community of NMK’s
diverse endeavors including the successful
hosting of the Korean Museum: 100 Years
in Remembrance celebration event, active
participation in the International Council
of Museums (ICOM), and the role of an
Asian lead partner of the Virtual Collection
of Masterpiece (VCM), a flagship project of
ASEMUS.
0 0

NMK, the G20 Seoul Summit 2010
Reception & Working Dinner Venue

NMK has been selected as the venue for
the G 0 Seoul Summit welcoming dinner
2
scheduled on November 11. It is anticipated
that the dinner will also serve on its natural
course as an occasion for the NMK to
introduce the cultural heritage and history
of Korea to the state leaders and press corps
visiting Korea for the G 0 Seoul Summit.
2
The museum collection is to be introduced
to the worldwide viewers as well through
live broadcast by global major TV networks
including CNN and BBC. G 0 is the group
2
of twenty Finance Ministers and Central
Bank Governors, from 19 countries and the
EU representative. Twenty world leaders
periodically meet at the summits to discuss
international financial issues such as
reducing market volatility and creating
sustainable growth going forward. The
semi-annual G 0 Summit 010 will be held
2
2
in Seoul from November 11 to November 1 .
2
Consequently, the museum will be closed
for three days from November 9 to 11 for
security reason.
Academic and Personal Exchange
with Japanese and Chinese Museums

NMK is committed to strengthening
the exchange and cooperation with the
Tokyo National Museum and the National
Museum of China through annual
academic and personal exchange programs
in diverse functional areas such as research,
exhibition, and education.
Under the “Agreement on Academic
and Cultural Exchange, Cooperation, and
Other Activities” signed with the Tokyo
National Museum in 00 , NMK exchanges
2
2
two employees for 1- weeks, each year.
2
As of 009, 6 staff members participated
2
2
the exchange program. The two museums
agreed to conduct joint research on selected
topics from 010 in an endeavor to step up
2
academic collaboration. For this year’s joint
research, “museum education” was chosen
as the theme and active exchange activities
have been pursued between the education
officers of NMK and the Tokyo National
Museum.
In tandem, NMK has exchanged two
personnel with the National Museum of
China per year since 006 in conformity
2
to the “Agreement on Academic and
Cultural Exchange and Cooperation” and
the “Memorandum on Personal Exchange”
signed with the National Museum of China
in 005. Up to 009, a total of 16 employees
2
2
were exchanged and future participants are
expected to present relevant field research
effective from this year to boost joint
academic research functions further.
International Symposium on
“Goryeo Buddhist Paintings
in the Context of East Asia”

International symposium “Goryeo
Buddhist Paintings in the Context of East
Asia” took place in the Main Auditorium
of NMK on October 8, 010. Organized
2
2
in association with the Masterpieces of
Goryeo Buddhist Painting that began on
October 1 , the international symposium
2
was aimed to examine the characteristics,
historical background, and significance of
the East Asian Buddhist paintings with the
emphasis on Goryeo Buddhist paintings
through discussions by scholars from home
and abroad.
The keynote lecture by Lothar Ledderose
(professor, Heidelberg University, Germany)
on the Goryeo Buddhist Paintings and
world art opened the symposium and
seven prominent scholars including Kira
Samosyuk (curator, State Hermitage
Museum, Russia), Ide Seinosuke (professor,
Kyushu University, Japan), Chung Woothak
(professor, Dongguk University, Korea), Kim
Junghee (professor, Wonkwang University,
Korea), Park Eunkyung (professor, Dong-A
University, Korea), Lee Soomi (curator,
NMK, Korea), Kitajawa Natsuki (curator,
Nara National Museum, Japan) gave
presentation on different topics of the
Goryeo Buddhist paintings, followed by
diverse and comprehensive discussion.
Miscellaneous
August 9, 010
2
Children’s Drawing Contest

NMK and Korean Fine Arts Association co-
organized children’s drawing contest in link
with the special exhibition Gods, Heroes and
Mortals: art and life in ancient Greece. Over
450 children participated in, and contest
winners received awards and prizes at the
award ceremony on October 4.
2
September - , 010
22
23
2
Korean Thanksgiving Festival

NMK and the Cultural Foundation of NMK
co-organized Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving
Day) festival. In addition to various cultural
activities offered, the special event spiced
up its festivity with Samul nori, a Korean
traditional music performance.
September 4, 010
2
2
MOU with Asian Art Museum of
San Francisco

NMK signed an MOU with the Asian Art
Museum of San Francisco regarding NMK
special exhibition Scenes of Banquets and
Ceremonies of the Joseon Period which is
scheduled to be hosted by the San Francisco
museum in 01 .
2
3
October 1, 010
2
MOU with Samsung Electronics

NMK and Samsung Electronics signed
a cooperation agreement for the joint
utilization of Korean cultural heritage
contents. According to the agreement, NMK
and Samsung Electronics plan to jointly
develop mobile services based on cultural
heritage contents that run on diverse mobile
platforms including smart phones and
tablet PCs.
October 5, 010
2

A Gamro-do 甘露圖, Nectar Ritual Painting from early
Joseon period 16th Centuries is donated to the
NMK by Ejima Kodo,江島孝導 chief monk of
Ryuganji temple 龍岸寺 in Kyoto, Japan. The
new artwork will meet the audience in 011
2
through a special exhibition at the NMK,
once the restoration process is completed.
October 11, 010
2

Zeniya Masami, Executive Director of the
Tokyo National Museum, visited NMK
to attend and congratulate the opening
ceremony of the NMK’s special exhibition,
Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist Painting.
October 16, 010
2
2010 Korea in Motion
Opening Ceremony

The opening event of the Korea in Motion
010 took place at NMK. The Korea in Motion
2
010 festival which is organized by the Korea
2
Tourism Organization and co-sponsored by
NMK and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism runs from October 16th through
1st and features a variety of art performance
3
and cultural events in the NMK Plaza as
well as the designated theaters in downtown
Seoul.
October 19, 010
2

Director-General welcomed Dr Dawn Casey,
Director of Powerhouse Museum, and
discussed collaboration between the two
museums for a special exhibition Shining
Treasures: Korea Metal Craft, scheduled next
year at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney,
Australia.

f e a t u r e e x h i b i t i o n
Masterpieces of After establishing a unified kingdom on the
Korean peninsula in 918, Goryeo adopted
Goryeo Buddhist Buddhism as the religious basis for social
cohesion. Buddhism had since taken root
Painting in every walk of life and Goryeo people
resorted to Buddhism for things they desired
Special Exhibition Gallery, to achieve. They regarded the creation of
October 1 – November 1, 010
Buddhist scriptures and paintings as a
2
2
2
Written by Park Hyewon task of great importance. Combined with
Associate Curator of the Fine Arts Department
the aristocratic culture that ripened in the
Goryeo period and the delicate taste of the
nobles, the devoutness created favorable
environment for the sophisticated Buddhist
arts to emerge including the Buddhist
painting that required superb mastery,
expensive materials, and painstaking long
hours of work.
0 0


NMK presents the Masterpieces of Goryeo
Buddhist Painting in October after two years
of preparation. For the largest exhibition in
Korea devoted to the theme, masterpieces of
the Goryeo Buddhist painting in possession
of various museums around the globe are
brought together. In addition to 66 pieces
of Buddhist painting that belong to the
Goryeo and early Joseon period, the items
on display include Buddhist statues, sutra
manuscripts, and tools for Buddhist rituals
that are representative of the Goryeo period
Buddhist culture. Also showcasing the
Buddhist painting of China and Japan, the
exhibition is designed to provide a wider
context of the East Asian Buddhist tradition
in which the artistic value of the Goryeo
Buddhist painting is understood.
Water-moon Avalokiteśvara
Late Goryeo
Hanging scroll, color on silk
110.0 × 57.7 cm
Danzan Jinja, Japan
Such masterpieces of the Goryeo
Buddhist paining as Water-moon
Avalokiteśvara 水月觀音圖 from Danzan Jinja 談山神社
in Japan, which is still in good shape as if it
was painted yesterday, and Amitābha 阿彌陀如來圖
from Shobo-ji 正法寺 in Japan, which is also
known as “red Sakyamuni 赤い釈迦 ” and still
boasts the beautiful and vivid colors, are
truly captivating. The collection includes
paintings owned by private Buddhist
temples that have seldom made available
for the appreciation by the general public
not to mention overseas exhibitions. The
Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist Painting is
a rare chance to cherish the delicate and
magnificent beauty of the Goryeo Buddhist
painting.
Amitābha
Late Goryeo
Hanging scroll, color on silk
190.0 × 87. cm
2
Shobo-ji, Japan

f e a t u r e e x h i b i t i o n

Buddha, the Enlightened Being However, paintings themed on Bodhisattva and Liberation of
Amitābha are the largest in number among All Sentient Beings

Paintings of diverse Tarhhagatas 如來, the remaining Goryeo Buddhist paintings

Buddha
such as Viroccana,毘盧舍那佛, cosmic Buddha
Maitreya, 彌勒佛, Buddha of the future
ākyamuni,
historical Buddha
Bhausajyaguru, 藥師佛, medicine Buddha
and Amitābha 阿彌陀佛, Buddha of infinite light imply that
the Goryeo Buddhism worshiped various
different Buddhas. As the development
of Buddhist sects was notable during the
Goryeo period, it is supposed that each sect
created more paintings of its main Buddha
than those of other Buddhas.

and the creation periods are concentrated In Mahāyāna Buddhism, bodhisattva
釋迦牟尼,
on the late Goryeo, probably reflecting the refers to those on the path to liberation.
strong emergence of Amidism that focuses As an unawakened being before becoming
on Amitābha and the Western Pure Land. a Buddha, bodhisattvas work for “the
西方極樂淨土
In the late Goryeo period, religious complete enlightenment of themselves as
associations were actively formed and the well as all sentient beings.” While many
belief that anybody could go to Nirvana bodhisattvas are known in Mahāyāna
after death by praying to Amitābha and Buddhism which is based principally upon
conducting Pure Land-oriented practices the path of a bodhisattva, paintings that
became prevalent. Accordingly, pious acts depict a single bodhisattva are rare with
such as building Buddhist temples and the exception of Avalokiteśvara 觀音菩薩, bodhisattva
manually copying Buddhist scriptures were of compassion
and Ksitigarbha 地藏菩薩, bodhisattva of
encouraged along with prayers to Amitābha earth treasury
which were dominant themes for
and recitation of scriptures. As these Goryeo period bodhisattva paintings.
practices required significant financial In particular, Water-moon
means, members of the royal family and Avalokiteśvara,水月觀音圖 the most popular
high-profile bureaucrats were the most theme of the Avalokiteśvara paintings in
active while ordinary Buddhists joined the the Goryeo, is a representation of a seeker
movement collectively in an association or after truth named Sudhana 善財童子, child Bodhisattva
a Buddhist lay group called hyangdo.香徒 meeting Avalokiteśvara among the 5

3
Kalyamitra 善知識 depicted in the Avatamsaka
Sutra. 華嚴經 The elegance of Avalokiteśvara
in the Goryeo Buddhist painting who
sits aslant on a rock at a lakeside of Mt.
Botarakga in southern India staring slightly
downward is well recognized. A viewer
may feel her mind purified by the scene
where Sudhana humbly seeks truth from
Avatamsaka who is kindly looking down at
the innocent child.
Ksitigarbha
Amitābha Triad Illustration of Amitāyur-dyāna-sūtra Water-moon Avalokiteśvara Late Goryeo
Late Goryeo Goryeo, 1 Late Goryeo Hanging scroll, color on silk
323
Hanging scroll, color on silk Hanging scroll, color on silk Hanging scroll, color on silk 104. × 55.6 cm

3
100.5 × 54. cm 4. × 1 9.1 cm 14 .0 × 61.5 cm The Samsung Museum of Art, Leeum
2
22
2
3
2
MOA Art Museum, Japan Chion-in, Japan Senso-ji, Japan Treasure No.784

0 0


f e a t u r e e x h i b i t i o n

Arhat, the Attained One The purpose of the ritual was to beat off Buddhist Paintings in Goryeo maintained a close political Legacy Continued
crises on the occult power of Arhats. During Neighboring Countries relationship with Yuan and a number of


Goryeo people especially worshiped the primary crisis Goryeo people wanted Goryeo monks went to Yuan to study. Thus it The glory of the Goryeo Buddhism waned in

Arhat. 羅漢, attained one
The Goryeosa
of Goryeo
contains a lot of records of Arhat
worshipping, in particular Nahanjae.
Buddhist mass for Arhat
As the Goryeo Buddhist
statues and paintings were usually created
for Buddhist rituals, many of the remaining
Arhat statues and paintings of Arhat that
belong to the Goryeo period are likely to
have been made for Nahanjae.

高麗史, History
to address was to defend a foreign invasion As discussed previously, most of the is believed that the influence of the Chinese the following Joseon period due to the state
as implied by the fact that there was a existing Goryeo Buddhist paintings were Buddhist painting on the Goryeo Buddhist suppression of Buddhism. However, royal
漢齋,
Nahanjae whenever a war was anticipated. created in the late Goryeo period which is painting was strong. The Japanese Buddhist females, daeguns,大君, Grand Princes and members
羅
Nahanjae was also held to pray for rains or equivalent to the Southern Song 南宋, 1127-1279 painting in the Kamakura period succeeded of jongchin 宗親, royal clans in the early Joseon
the longevity of the King. The Five Hundred and Yuan 元, 1271-1368
periods of China, and the Buddhist painting tradition of the period were still protective of Buddhism
Arhats 五百 漢圖
in possession of various the Kamakura 鎌倉, 1185-1333
and Heian 平安, 794-1185
Heian period, and grew significantly both and initiated diverse Buddhist affairs.佛事
羅
museums in the US and Japan as well as periods of Japan. in quality and quantity by embracing the The Buddhist paintings created with the
NMK reflect the faithful wishes of Goryeo influence of the Chinese Buddhist painting sponsorship of the royals and nobles in the
people for peace and the health of the King of the Song and Yuan periods through active early Joseon period inherited the delicate
prayed to Arhats. exchange with the Continent. elegance and splendor of the Goryeo

Descent of Amitābha and Buddhist painting. The two pieces initiated

a Heavenly Retinue by Queen Munjoeng 文定王后, 1502-1565 and other
Kamakura period of Japan, 14th century
Hanging scroll, color on silk late-Joseon Buddhist paintings featured in
1 1.5 × 156.5 cm the exhibition show the characteristics

3
Tokyo National Museum, Japan
very well.

Gathering of Four Buddhas

Five Hundred Arhats Five Hundred Arhats Śākyamuni Triad Joseon, 156 Bhaisajyaguru Triad
2
Goryeo, 1 5-6 Goryeo, 1 5 Yuan, China Hanging scroll, color on silk Joseon, 1565
23
23
Hanging scroll, ink and light color on silk Hanging scroll, ink and light color on silk Hanging scroll, color on silk 77.8 × 5 . cm Hanging scroll, gold on silk
2
2
5 .7 × 40.8 cm 59.0 × 4 .0 cm 114.0 × 51.0 cm National Museum of Korea 58.7 × 0.8 cm
2
2
3
The Cleveland Museum of Art, U.S.A Private Collection, Korea Nison-in 二尊院, Japan Treasure No.1 6 Tokugawa Art Museum, Japan
32
1 0 1 1
n m k e x h i b i t i o n
Golden Splendors : This year marks the 6th anniversary of the
3
excavation of Hwangnamdaechong,皇南大塚
The Royal Tomb of Silla, a Silla period royal tomb, in 197 . While
3
there have been exhibitions featuring
Hwangnamdaechong some of the relics discovered from the
tomb, the Golden Splendors: The Royal
Special Exhibition Gallery Tomb of Silla, Hwangnamdaechong has
September 7–October 1, 010
drown a keen attention of the public as
3
2
Written by Choi Hyungsun an exhibition exclusively dedicated to
Associate Curator of the Exhibition Team
Hwangnamdaechong. As the collection
was supposed to represent the entire range
of the relics reclaimed from the tomb,
the selection of the theme and items to
showcase was exceptionally complicated.
1 1
2
Hwangnamdaechong boasts the The exhibition runs from September 7
largest scale as a single site of ancient to October 1, 010 at the NMK. Afterwards,
3
2
civilization in Korea. The total number the antiquities will continue to be displayed
of excavated antiquities is a whopping in the Gyeongju National Museum where
58,000 including 5,648 pieces from the they originally belong. The extended
3
south mound and ,79 pieces from the exhibition in the Gyeongju National
22
3
north mound. While it is impossible to Museum will showcase more items to
display the entire discoveries due to space enrich the experience of the museum
restriction, the carefully selected collection visitors even further.
of 1, 68 relics will allow the visitors to gain
2
comprehensive insights of the royal tomb.
Each of the selected items encapsulates
the spirit of the Silla people and thus has
a significant value, enough to satisfy the
ever increasing intellectual curiosity of the
NMK visitors.
3
n m k e x h i b i t i o n
Hwangnamdaechong is named such as the
large-scale tomb, is situated in Hwangnam-
dong, Gyeongju. Originally the tomb began
referred to as Tomb No. 98 in 19 5 when
2
the distribution map of the 155 Silla tombs
was created. Following the excavation
and research by the National Research
Institute of Cultural Heritage, the Cultural
Heritage Administration of Korea between
197 and 1975, the tomb was named
3
Hwangnamdaechong by the Cultural
Properties Committee on July 7, 1976.
2
The tomb is a double-mound tomb
with the south mound built first for the
male deceased and the north mound built
later for the female deceased. In terms of
structure, it is a wooden chamber tomb
with stone mound. 積石木槨墳
The length (south-
north) is 1 9m, the width (east-west) is
2
80m, and the height is 1.9m for the south
2
mound and .6m for the north mound.
22
Hwangnamdaechong is the largest of its
kind not only in physical size but also in
variety and splendor of the relics discovered,
which includes weapons, ornaments,
containers, and horse gears. The owner
of the south mound is presumably one of
the maripgans.麻立干, Silla monarchs Researchers
estimated the construction period at the
early 5th century to the mid 5th century for
the south mound, and the mid 5th century
to the late 5th century for the north mound.
1 4
The Golden Splendors: The Royal Tomb
of Silla, Hwangnamdaechong is comprised
of three parts. Part 1 is “The Power of the
Living Preserved over the Tomb of the
Dead.” The purpose of Hwangnamdaechong
goes beyond that of a typical grave that
leads the dead to the afterworld, as implied
by the grandiose size and the magnificent
burial ornaments. In Part 1, the exhibition
shows that the successor built the gigantic
royal tomb hoping to open a new era
upon the great legacy of the late king. The
hologram displaying relics related to the
Gold Crown Ornament
Silla
L. 49.0 cm
Treasure No. 6 0
burial ritual and the structure of the tomb
helps visitors experience the exhibition in
three dimensions. The life-size replicas of
the main and sub chambers of the north
mound intrigue viewers’ curiosity, and the
realistic display of artifacts discovered from
the sub chamber gives a good sense of the
magnificent tomb scale.
3
Part is “The Maripgan-Ruled Silla in
2
the Northeast Asian History.” The relics
excavated from Hwangnamdaechong
include a variety of imported goods such
as northern-and Goguryeo-style bronze
ware, swan-neck glass flasks and glass cups
from Persia, Chinese-style mirrors and
glass cups, and unju 雲珠, harness fittings
decorated
with imogai ‘いもがい’, cone shell and turbo shell-
decorated ladles from Japan. These relics
of foreign origin indicate that the mid 4th
Horse Equipment Decorated with century Silla achieved the remarkable
Buprestid Wings(Replica)
Silla
status in Northeast Asia through rigorous
L. 55. cm international trades.
3
H. .9 cm
Part “Maripgan Opens the Kingdom of
33
3
Gold” explains the historical background
against which Hwangnamdaechong was
constructed, highlighting the antiquities
that show the authority of Silla when
the Silla envoy sent to China in 8
3
2
announced the era of maripgan. The
gold crown discovered from the north
mound and the gilt bronze crown from
the south mound are put on display
after restoration, boasting unbeatable
formative beauty. Part also suggests the
3
possibility that the Silla gold crowns were
not only used as burial ornaments but also
actually worn by the kings as part of their
regular or ritual outfits. Also featured are
gwanmo,官帽, headgear gwansik,冠飾, ornaments for the
royal diadem
and the replicas of angyo, 鞍橋, saddle
ornament
deungja, 鐙子, stirrups haengyeop 杏葉, riding tack
ornament
and, in particular, diverse objects
decorated with okchung.玉蟲, Buprestid(jewel beetles)
In the Silla period, wing of okchung was
a precious decorative material due to the
glossy iridescent colors and scarcity. The
collection for Part includes a wide variety
3
of okchung-decorated objects such as
gwadae,銙帶, girdle haengyeop,杏葉, riding tack ornament and
jaegal.馬銜, horse bit
The exhibition presumes that the
owner of the south mound is Naemul
Maripgan 奈勿麻立干, r.356-402 or Nulji Maripgan
訥祇麻立干, r.417-458
based on comprehensive
researches and analyses of the enormous
scale and the wealth of burial ornaments
of Hwangnamdaechong. The studies on
Hwangnamdaechong seem to be spreading
to the broader Northeast Asia. Progress in
the Hwangnamdaechong research is of great
significance to the studies of Goguryeo
高句麗, 37BC-668
that is underway in Jilin,集安
China and Japan’s research on the Kofun
period,古墳時代, 250-538 as it could necessitate
changes to the chronicles of the relevant
period on which those historical researches
are based.
1 5
t h e m e e s s a y

Joseon: The National Museum of Korea officially

opened the new Joseon Room on August

An Era Marked by 5, thereby completing the reorganization

of the permanent exhibit on the first floor.

Idealism and Now, visitors can walk through all the

major periods, from prehistory to early

Tradition modern history, on a single floor. The

Joseon exhibit consists of five sections, Section 1 :
Code of Joseon Laws
Joseon, 1661
.5 × 1.5 cm
Written by Yu Saerom each focusing on a special theme for a Foundation and Organization

32
2
Associate Curator of the History Department
given time period. The items on display are of the Joseon Dynasty
organized to facilitate chronological flow There are a royal Portrait of King Taejo (a Noteworthy inventions during the


so that visitors find the new Joseon exhibit General Yi Seong-gye 成桂, 1335-1408
who was replica of Treasure No. 9 1), donned in his period include an independent calendar-

both enjoyable and helpful in promoting an
understanding of the history and culture of
the last Korean kingdom.
李
posthumously named Taejo,太祖, r.1392-1398
rose as a new hero and gained great power
after repelling incursions by the Red
Turban Bandits from China and pirates
from Japan during the chaotic times at
the end of Goryeo. 高麗, 918-1392
The extent
of General Yi’s power was manifested in
1 90 or 1 91, when more than 10,000 of his
3
majestic blue robe with the dragon insignia,
and the Certificate of the Meritorious
Retainer for Foundation of the Joseon Dynasty
陳忠貴開國原從功臣錄券
(Treasure No. 1160) granted
land and slaves to the meritorious subjects
功臣
who helped the King establish the new
state. These items offer insights into who the
key players were in the founding of Joseon
making method, various astronomical and
meteorological instruments such as a rain
gauge 測雨器 (Treasure No. 561), movable metal
type, gunpowder and a new type of cannon.
Medical and pharmacological texts were
revised and an agricultural manual was
compiled to reflect local conditions (fauna,
flora, climate, etc.). These developments

3
3
supporters, including the members of his as well as what the overall situation was like helped to promote a new cultural identity.
wife’s influential Kang clan, preserved their at the time. In this regard, the single most important
collective prayers to Buddha in the Sarira Joseon adopted Neo-Confucianism as invention in all of Joseon was the creation
Reliquary. 舍利具
In 1 9 , General Yi overthrew its governing ideology, and the legitimacy of a native Korean writing system (known

3
2
Goryeo and established Joseon with the and identity of a “kingdom built on as Hangul today) during the reign of Sejong
aid of the sadaebu 士大夫
(newly emerging government institutions” were built up the Great.世宗大王, 1418-1450 The reproduction of
literati class) and a newly emerging group over the ensuing 100 years or so. The world the Hunmin Jeongum Manuscript 訓民正音 解例本 (a
of powerful military men. map, entitled the Unified Map of Territories replica of National Treasure No. 70), shows
The reliquary was discovered in a stone and Capitals of the States,混一疆理歷代國都之圖 and the fundamentals of the new alphabet.
box on Wolchul Peak, part of Mt. Geumgang, the star map, carved in stone and called the The Reestablishment and Promotion of
in 19 . It was stacked with various Chart of the Constellations and the Regions Virtue Text of Sangwon Temple 上院寺 重創勸善文

32
containers, including white porcelain bowls They Govern,天象列次分野之圖 were both produced (National Treasure No. 9 ) is the oldest

inscribed on the outside with the phrase,
“Maitreya Buddha (a messianic figure) is
about to come down and save all sentient
beings.” These words are believed to allude
to the creation of a new state.
as ways to justify the authority of the
Joseon kings as recipients of the Heavenly
Mandate to rule the land. Legal statues and
ritual protocols were compiled to define
the direction of state administration and
provide guidelines for its functioning.
Joseon’s civil governance was organized
into a centralized bureaucratic system led
by the king at the top and based on the Code
of Joseon Laws 經國大典 (Treasure No. 15 1), a
2
2
known extant manuscript printed in Hangul
with movable metal type, and the letter
written in Hangul by a wife to her deceased
husband. These documents demonstrate
how the use of the Korean alphabet began
to spread in Joseon society.

2
complete set of laws that was promulgated
during the reign of King Seongjong.成宗
Sarira Reliquary
by King Taejo Yi Seong-gye r.1469-1494
Thus, the ruling order in Joseon took
and his supporters
on characteristics clearly different from that
Goryeo, 1 90-1 91
3
3
H. 19.8 cm of Goryeo.

1 6 1 7
t h e m e e s s a y
Section 2 :
Confucians’ Rise and Foreign Relations

Joseon society came under the influence
of the Sarim,士林 “scholars of the forest or
rustic literati,” a powerful new faction
that emerged in the 16th century. Their
reflections on the direction of state
administration and on Neo-Confucianism
as a whole changed how the philosophy
was perceived in Joseon and how it was
applied politically. The ideological debates
that raged during this period resulted in
the formation of numerous Neo-Confucian
schools, which became the basis to
factional politics.
Yi Hwang,李滉, 1501-1570 pen name Toegye,退溪
and Yi I, 珥, 1536–1584
pen name Yulgok
李
the most prominent scholars of this period.
The former composed the Illustration
about the Key Points of Confucianism,聖學十圖
a culmination of 70 years of scholarship,
while the latter wrote the Essentials of the
Sages’ Learning 聖學輯要
to assist the scholarly
pursuits of the king himself. Works such
as these represent the essence of the
condominium of king and ruling elites
espoused by Joseon’s most influential Neo-
Confucian scholars.
Yi I ’s Secret of Expelling Ignorance
擊蒙要訣
(Treasure No. 60 ) became a widely
2
used textbook in Joseon, while the White
Certificate of Passing the Sogwa Exam 白牌
(Treasure No. 7 5) and Crimson Certificate of
2
Passing the Mungwa Exam 紅牌 (Treasure No.
7 6) were awarded to the successful passers
2
of the civil service examination. These items
provide insights into what students were
required to study and how they advanced
into officialdom through the examination
system.
The dynamic ideological flow in 16th
century Joseon fostered great talent and
drove cultural development, establishing
the foundation for the “Confucian scholar”
(seonbi) tradition that characterizes the
Joseon period. The Chinese Plums in the
1 8
Moonlight,夜梅圖 featured on the 50,000
Korean won note; writing by the famed
calligrapher Han Ho 韓濩 154 -1605, better
3
known as Han Seokbong 韓石峯 ; and elegant
yet austere wooden furniture all reveal
aspects of the contemporary social climate.
In addition, the Writ on the Mutual Consent
of the Sons and Daughters 男妹和會文記
(Treasure
No. 477) by Yi I offers an interesting side
of early Joseon: the equal distribution of
inheritance among all children, regardless
of gender.
In terms of diplomacy, Joseon was
established as a tributary state to Ming and
was part of the Sino-centric world order.
Ties were maintained with China, Japan,
the Jurchen 女眞 (Tungusic people who
栗谷
were inhabited what is now Manchuria) and the
Ryukyu Kingdom 琉球
(modern era Okinawa).
The international situation underwent
upheaval in the late 16th and early 17th
centuries. The Japanese waged war on the
Korean Peninsula between 159 and 1599;
2
the Manchus invaded Joseon twice, in 16 7
and 16 6; and the Manchus toppled the
3
Ming and established the Qing Dynasty in
君臣共治
China in 1644. On display are the armor and
helmet of Ryu Seongryong, 柳成 , 1542-1607
who
龍
served as prime minister during military
conflict with Japan, and the Wartime
Journal by Admiral Yi Sunsin during the Imjin
Waeran 亂中日記 (National Treasure No. 76).
These articles offer clues to the severity of
the wartime situation. The Sketch of Ships
and the Morning Sky 航海朝天圖 depicts a Joseon
envoy travelling to Ming by ship because
the northern overland route is blocked
by the Jurchen. Included here is also an
illustration called Tongsinsa haengnyeol,
行列圖
which shows a Joseon envoy to Japan,
known as tongsinsa,通信使 and his retinue on
a mission after diplomatic relations, which
had been cut because of the war, were
restored. These works offer visual clues
to how diplomacy was conducted during
Joseon.
Section 3 : Sangpyeong Tongbo coin
Late Joseon
Reorganization of a New Order D. .6 cm
2

By the 17th century, Joseon society had
managed to recover from the devastation
experienced during the late 15th and
early 16th centuries. The search for a new
political and social order ensued. The Neo-
Confucians, known as Sarim, professed
to be moral purists and created their own
political faction. The political climate was
shaped by the ongoing ideological and
political confrontation among those in and
out of government service. As for ideology,
the study of ritual 禮學 was pursued more
vigorously and systematically as a scholarly
discipline, while the factionalism fueled the
Illustration about the Key Points of Confucianism struggle among the various Neo-Confucian
Late Joseon
66.5 × 6.0 cm
schools. A feeling for the period is provided
3
by the ritual text and the portraits of Song
Siyeol 宋時烈, 1607-1689 and Heo Mok, 許穆, 1595-1682
who were standout 17th century scholars as
well as political figures.
Reform was pursued in various socio-
2
economic areas at this time to expand the
government treasury and human resource
pool, laying the groundwork for increased
commercial activity. The items here reflect
these governmental efforts: a rubbing from
a stele commemorating the introduction of
the Law of Uniform Land Tax 大同法 in 1608,
a household register for Danseong County,
compiled by conducting a triennial census;
identification tags 號牌 that the people in
Joseon were required to carry; and coins
called Sangpyeong Tongbo coin,常平通寶 “ever-
constant treasure,” which were a common
sight in later Joseon.
通信使
On display here are items that reflect
the lives of the common people in Joseon:
boards a social ranking game called Dice
Game Board 陞卿圖 and the traditional Asian
chess game known as baduk in Korean ;
paintings of everyday life, 風俗畵 household
items; and old documents.
Chinese Plums in the Moonlight Dice Game Board
Joseon, 16 Late Joseon
22
119.1 × 5 .0 cm 108.7 × 59.0 cm
3
1 9
t h e m e e s s a y
Section 4 :
Promotion of Impartiality
and Culture

A type of cultural renaissance took place
in the 18th and 19th centuries as the
traditional culture of the elite spread
throughout Joseon society. In particular,
the reigns of King Yeongjo 英祖, r.1724–1776 and
King Jeongjo 正祖, r.1776-1800
were marked by
efforts to strengthen the power of the
monarch, overhaul government institutions
and promote scholarship. King Jeongjo
ordered the establishment of a research
library and institute called Gyujanggak
on the palace grounds. Leading scholars
are provided new career opportunities and
numerous texts were produced in support
of various government policies. The Painting
of Juhamnu, the Royal Library Gyujanggak
奎章閣圖
provides a clue to the great importance
that was put on the palace institution
at that time. Other items displayed here
are testimony to the development in
recordkeeping and publishing in later
Joseon: The Construction Records of Hwaseong
Fortress 華城城役儀軌
; an illustration of King
Jeongjo and his retinue traveling to the
Suwon Fortress, which has been listed as a
World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO; pieces
of movable metal type; and the copies of
texts that were printed with such type.
This period was marked by scholars who
had reflected critically on the conventional
Neo-Confucian learning and were becoming
more interested in socioeconomic reform.
They were at the center of a new movement
known as Silhak, 實學
Practical Learning,
and were enthusiastically studying the
Western learning that was increasingly
being brought into Joseon from Qing China.
0 1
2
Scholars had combined the principles of
traditional Asian astronomical instruments
with those of the Western alarm clock,
introduced somewhat earlier (late 17th
century) to create an Astrolable Clock 渾天時計
(National Treasure No. 0). This device
23
reflects the trend in Joseon to create
innovative machines based on knowledge
from both East and West.
Meanwhile, cultural change was taking
place. Interest rose in the concept of a native
奎章閣
land and a uniquely Joseon identity. New
maps were produced, and the use of the
native script (Hangul) spread, along with the
“true view 眞景
”style of landscape painting.
The number of people in the population who
could enjoy high culture also increased.
Important artifacts from this period include
the woodcut print of the Complete Map of
the Eastern State 東國大地圖 (Treasure No. 1581),
which indicates that the Joseon kingdom
border had extended northward and clearly
identifying the island of Dokdo in the East
Sea. Kim Jeongho 金正浩, ?-1864
produced the
Territorial Map of the Great East, 大東輿地圖
while
realistic representations of local scenes
and customs were popular in late Joseon.
The Painting book of a meeting of the Middle
Class 金蘭契帖 (Treasure No. 1581) includes this
illustration of a poetry contest for members
of the social class called Jung-in 中人
Middle
People. Other period artifacts of note
include bowls with inscriptions in Hangul:
the horse token,馬牌 a pass representing for a
Secret Royal Inspector, 暗行御史
dispatched by
the king to investigate and bring charges
against officials guilty of wrongdoing;
and a portrait of Bak Munsu,朴文秀, 1691-1756 a
inspector famous for this efforts to being
the guilty to justice. Thus the power of the
central government administration was felt
in the provincial areas far from the capital.
Woodblock Print of the
Territorial Map of the
Great East
Joseon, 1861
.0 × 4 .0 cm
32
3
Treasure No. 1581
Painting of Juhamnu,
the Royal Library Gyujanggak
in the Changdeokgung
Joseon, 1776
by Kim Hongdo
14 . × 115.5 cm
3
2
Section 5 :
Emergence of Modern Society
Horse Token
The items in this display reflect the

Late Joseon
D. 9.5 – 11.5 cm In the mid-19th century, pressure mounted internal turmoil in late Joseon society: a
from Western imperialist nations and map of concessions to foreign powers at
Japan, resulting in the opening of Joseon’s open ports; the writings of Yi Hangno,李恒老,
first port in 1876. At the same time, the 1792~1868
a scholar who opposed the port
government began to pursue a policy of openings; a calling card, toiletries and
enlightenment, or modernization. Forces clothes used by Yu Giljun,兪吉濬, 1856-1914
inside the kingdom became split between a leading figure in the Enlightenment
those who embraced the opening to the Faction; and the declaration of rebellion
outside world and those who rejected it. by Donghak 東學 Eastern learning peasant
forces. While foreign powers competed over
Royal Seal used by King Gojong regional supremacy, Joseon King Gojong
The Greater Korean Empire
9. × 9. cm
高宗, r.1863-1907
declared the establishment of
2
2
The Greater Korean Empire.大韓帝國 These
items tell the story of a state striving for
modernity in a turbulent world: a portrait
of Gojong as Emperor, his royal seal, 勅命之寶
modern currency, and postage stamps. The
Taegukgi 太極旗, Great Ultimate Flag represented the
modern Korean state, and the oldest extant
version of the flag as well as flags kept by
early American missionaries are displayed.
2
c u r a t o r ' s c h o i c e
Folding This eight-panel folding screen documents
an eight-day journey to Hwaseong Fortress
Screen of (in present-day Suwon) by King Jeongjo,
r.1777~1800
the nd Joseon monarch, between
the Royal
22
the 9th and 16th days of the leap month in
1795. The trip was organized to allow the
Procession king to pay his respects at the tomb of his
farther, Crown Prince Sado 思悼世子, 1735~1762
to the Royal Hyeonnyeungwon, 顯隆園 near the fortress.
The folding screen is counted among
Tomb at
the very best artworks produced in Joseon
as a documentary painting of royal
Hwaseong palace ceremony.宮中記錄畵 Such works were
commissioned to commemorate as well
Written by Lee Hyegyeong
Associate Curator of the Fine Arts Department
as record ceremonial events that were
presided over by the king or involved either
the king or crown prince in some way. The
events would include birthdays of the king
or his parents, the induction of a noted
subject into the Agency for the Elderly,
the birth of the crown prince, the official
commencement of the crown prince’s
22
studies, or the recovery of the king or crown
prince from an illness.
Usually, the documentary folding
正祖,
screens would cover a single theme such
as a birthday or birth, but this one features
diverse events that occurred during the
at
king’s eight-day journey. Not only are the
subjects numerous in this work but the
scenes are presented in much greater detail
than usual.
Here is a closer look at the travel
itinerary and the contents of the folding
screen, with each panel detailing a key
event occurring on each day of the journey.
Day 1: the king departs his main palace,
Changdeokgung, 昌德宮
in the capital, and
arrives at Siheung temporary palace, on
the way to Hwaseong. Day : he departs the
2
temporary palace at Siheung and arrives
耆老所
at his destination, Hwaseong temporary
palace. Day : the king visits the local school
3
with memorial shrines to Confucius and to
his father, and then he oversees the higher
civil service examination held at Naknam-
heon. Day 4: king Jeongjo visits the
落南軒
tomb of his father, Crown Prince Sado, and
attends a grand military exercise at the
Western Command Post that extends into
the night. Day 5: a birthday celebration is
held for the King’s mother, Lady Hyegyeong.
Day 6: the king joins in an archery contest.
Days 7 and 8: he returns home via the
temporary palace at Siheung.
The royal journey was elaborately and
meticulously planned, to include a holding
of the higher civil service examination.
The magnificence of the proceedings was
recorded in great detail on this folding
screen.
The Scene of the Banquet at Bongsu-dang
奉壽堂進饌圖
(Day ) shows the feast to honor
2
the 60th birthday of Lady Hyegyeong,
the highlight of the eight-day journey.
Eighty-two relatives of the king’s mother
were invited, and the painting shows the
banquet venue divided into upper and
lower sections. The honored guests and
entertainment (drum dance and palace
dance called ship traveling music 船遊 )
樂
are featured in the upper section, while
the lower section is filled with members
of the king’s retinue and retainers. The
buildings are presented with disregard for
perspective, while the placement of the
participants aligned is typical of paintings
describing palace events during the Joseon
period.
The Scene of Royal Return 還御行列圖
(Day 6)
shows King Jeongjo, Lady Hyegyeong and
their entourage returning to the capital via
a temporary floating bridge across the Han
River at Noryangjin. The elegant palanquin
for the king’s mother is shown passing
through a red spiked gate in the center of
the bridge. The king’ palanquin follows
directly behind. The bridge consisted of
6 boats, 40 pairs of railings, and three
3
2
red spiked gates, and each palanquin was
transported by scores of bearers in front
and back. The long, narrow scene highlights
the bridge crossing and provides the viewer
with a greater sense of the overall scale of
the event.
In addition to this folding screen, the
grand journey to Hwaseong is described in
an eight-volume, 1, 70-page set of protocols
2
儀軌
entitled the Record of Jeongjo's Visit to his
Father's Tomb in the Year Ul-myo.園行乙卯整理儀軌
Meticulous details in writing and pictures
document every phase of the operation,
from preparation to execution and
completion. These are extremely valuable
materials for understanding the ceremonial
life of the Joseon royal family.
23
t h e m e c o l l e c t i o n

Jeongyangsa (Temple) on a folding fan

Joseon
by Jeong seon
ink and light color on paper
.0 × 61.0 cm

22
National Museum of Korea

The Korean Peninsula boasts many

stunning natural scenes, and landscapes
were a favorite subject for Late Joseon
painters. This “true-view landscape
painting” 眞景山水畵 genre has attracted much
attention for the great works produced by
Korean artists.
That Joseon artists would draw or
paint local landscapes is no surprise, but
their depictions as seen in the real world
is historically significant. This movement
marks a break from the Early Joseon
(15th-17th centuries) tradition of strictly
following the formulas prescribed in Song
or Ming landscape painting, as writers and
artists had closely identified Confucian
ideals and personages with China. By Late
Joseon, however, they had moved forward
to develop a uniquely Joseon landscape
painting tradition that stressed the
importance of realistic representation. In
the same way that Late Joseon folk painting
and portrait painting did.
True-view landscape painting started
out in Joseon during the 18th century,

Conveying which was dominated by the reigns of two

monarchs, Yeongjo 英祖, r.1724-1776 and Jeongjo.

the Beautiful Of course the formulaic Chinese

正祖, r.1776-1800

concept and style of landscape painting

Landscapes persisted as well. However, new works

clearly emerged as Joseon painters began

of Joseon to focus on the unique beauty of their local

Written by Lee Taeho
Professor of Art History, Myongji University
landscape and to create painting techniques
that could capture that beauty effectively.
Jeong Seon,鄭敾, 1676-1759 pen name Gyeomjae
謙齋
is the focal point from which realistic
landscape painting sprang.

4 5
2
2
t h e m e c o l l e c t i o n
Depicting Ideals Found in the Heart

Jeong Seon lived in the Joseon capital
漢城
(Hanseong) and enjoyed drawing and
painting local scenes such as Mt. Inwang,
Baek-ak,白岳 Namsan 南山 and Jang-dong.壯洞
The images of local officials and such
famous Joseon sites as Mt. Geumgang
were also popular subjects. Succeeding
generations of painters were inspired by
Jeong Seon, and a Gyeomjae School formed
that concentrated on these same themes.
Jeong Seon and the True-view
Landscape Painting School created a
unique style of composition to give
justice to the most renowned views in
the Joseon kingdom. For example, his
paintings would place the actual scene in
the center of the work to be highlighted
or present an overall view as seen from
above. Characteristic brush stroke styles
were also perfected, to include a vertical
“wrinkle stroke” 皴 technique referred to
as the “chaotic firewood stroke” 亂柴皴
or
“cracked hemp stroke” 裂麻皴 ; the “accumulated
積墨法
ink method,” a variation of the “axe-
斧劈皴
cut” used to add texture with a heavy
米點皴
concentration of ink; the “dot stroke,”
repeated motion of the brush tip with a flat
米黻
brush, introduced by Mi Fu ; the use of
light ink with the soft “hemp fiber stroke”
披麻皴
and “moss dotting” 苔點
technique; the
laying of the brush on its side 側筆 repeatedly
to portray pine groves; and painting with
two brushes in one hand. 兩筆法 Jeong Seon
was well versed in the hemp fiber stroke
featured in art books and art works from
the Northern School of Landscape Painting
from Song and Ming as well as Tang dynasty
works, but he also adopted and modified
the dot stroke from China’s Southern School
of Landscape Painting. Thus, Jeong Seon
artistically took Joseon landscape painting
to new heights and became a great master
of the genre in Late Joseon.
6 7
2
Jeong Seon made his career as a scholar-
official, which is unusual for an artist of his
stature. Between the ages of 40 and 80 he
held various posts, mainly as a low-level
official. On the other hand, his emergence
as a great painter is particularly odd since
no evidence can be found that he trained
as a painter before entering government
service. All that remains of his early work
is the Sketchbook of Mt. Geumgang in the
Autumn of the Sinmyo Year 辛卯年楓岳圖帖 (1711).
Jeong Seon was in his late 60s and 70s
when he immersed himself in painting and
emerged as the great master who inspired After Rain at Mt. Inwang
the True-view Landscape Painting School. Joseon, 1751
by Jeong Seon
A visit to the places Jeong Seon painted ink on paper
will arouse suspicions that the artist did not 79. × 1 8. cm
2
3
2
The Samsung Museum of Art, Leeum
in fact actually see the scenes for himself.
Besides the After Rain at Mt. Inwang,仁王霽色圖
his works consistently differ from the actual
landscape subject. Even his Eight Views
of Jang-dong, 壯洞八景 a place near his home,
reveals major dissimilarities from the real
places in question. It is as if these were
places that the painter always wanted to see
but could not so he reproduced them from
his imagination. Perhaps, Jeong Seon, who
a had no formal training as an artist, lacked
the basic skills to portray objects as they are.
Of course, this imparts a whole new
meaning to the term “true view.” It may
have been chosen because the Korean
expression jin-gyeong,眞景 true view, is meant
to include the seon-gyeong,仙境 realm of
the immortals ideal. In other words, the
true view is unlike the false images 虛象
that people perceive through their eyes. If
so, Jeong Seon’s true-view approach may
well have been aimed at portraying Neo-
Confucian ideals rather than the beauty of
actual scenes.
General View of Mt. Geumgang
Joseon, 17 4
3
by Jeong Seon
ink and light color on paper
1 0.7 × 59.0 cm
3
The Samsung Museum of Art, Leeum
2
t h e m e c o l l e c t i o n
The modified beauty of Jeong Seon’s
true-view landscapes is reminiscent of the
landscape viewing method espoused by
Northern Song landscape master Guo Xi
郭熙, 1020–1090
to explain why the Confucian
gentleman loves landscapes so. He said that
the grove and spring must be approached
with the sympathetic spirit of a nature lover
for their value to grow, while approaching
them with the eyes of pride and arrogance,
their value will be cheapen.
Jeong Seon probably overstated and
reconstructed the actual views of his
landscape subjects to express the clear
groves and springs of the mind, the
immortals’ realm, rather than the objects
perceived by human eyes, which are filled
with arrogance and self-interest.
Put another way, the artist was not
primarily concerned about depicting reality.
Rather, he wanted to portray the feelings
that the actual scene arouses in the heart.
For example, the viewer can almost hear
朴淵瀑布
the rushing water of Pak-yeon Falls
the babbling brooks in the Valley of 10,000
Waterfalls. 萬瀑洞圖 In addition, the bird’s-eye
view of Manicheong Peak portrayed in
正陽寺圖
Jeongyangsa Temple and General View
of Mt. Geumgang 剛全圖
feature powerful
金
brushstrokes that evoke the sound of
the wind.
After Rain at Mt. Inwang realistically
conveys the image of a cliff that has been
drenched in summer rain. Jeong Seon
painted this masterpiece when he was 75
years old. He had lived beneath Mt. Inwang
(just north of the capital) all his life and was
intimately familiar with it visually. As such,
this painting is a very accurate depiction
of the mountain. The work successfully
captures one of the ideals of the East Asian
painting tradition: show the spirit by
drawing the external form. 以形寫神
Vally of 10,000 Waterfalls
Joseon
by Jeong Seon
ink and light color on silk
.0 × .0 cm
33
22
Seoul National University Museum
8 9
2
Painting “True Views” as Seen in the Eye

The main tendency of Late Joseon true-
view landscape painting is to reproduce
the image realistically. In this sense, Jeong
Seon’s paintings represented a period of
transition from the conceptual beauty of
Chinese landscape painting to the true-to-
life portrayals of Joseon’s natural beauty.
Early on, criticisms were raised about
depicting scenes from the bird’s-eye view.
Cho Sok, 趙涑, 1595-1668
pen name Changgang,
a predecessor to Jeong Seon, said that when
he came across a good scene, he would
dismount his horse and sketch what was
right in front of him. Even one of Jeong
Seon’s successors, literati-painter Kang
Sehwang,姜世晃, 1713-1791 pen name Pyo-am,豹菴
pointed out deficiencies in the true-view
landscape painting style of Jeong Seon: “The
matter is confused by the indiscriminate
use of the “cracked hemp stroke” method,
compromising true-to-life depiction.”
and In general, Late Joseon painting was
strongly influenced by realism. A pioneer
of this movement was literati-painter Yun
Duseo, 尹斗緖, 1668-1715
pen name Gongje,
belonged to the Southerner faction during
the reign of King Sukjong.肅宗 r.1661-1720 He
espoused a creative approach known as
reality acquisition, which meant carefully
observing the subject or creating a model
before painting. His extant works include
realistic self-portraits, images of horses, and
so-called genre paintings of people.人物風俗畵
Cho Yeongseok,趙榮祏, 1686-1761 pen name
Gwana-je,觀我齋 lived near Jeong Seon in the
mid-18th century, and the two painters were
close friends. Cho pursued the immediate
object depiction of reality,卽物寫眞 namely
placing the subject squarely in front of the
artist and sketching lifelike images. Yu and
Cho were Late Joseon literati-painters who
led the genre painting movement before the
great Kim Hongdo 弘道, 1745-?
and Sin Yunbok
金
申潤福, 1758-?
came on the scene.
Other standout realist artists who
followed these literati-painters between
the mid-18th and early 19th centuries
include Kim Du-ryang, 斗樑, 1696-1763
金
Sangbyuk,卞相璧, 1730?-1775? Yi Inmun,
李
and Yi Myeong-gi. 命基
They developed
李
their ability to portray realism by adopting
stereographic techniques and perspective
drawings used in the West. Moreover,
optical devices such as the camera obscura
made their way into Joseon, helping artists
滄江
to reproduce portraits and landscapes with
great precision.
Kim Hongdo developed as an artist
under the tutelage of Kang Sehwang. He
began his career as a court painter in the
Royal Bureau of Painting and emerged
as one of the brush and ink masters who
painted all manner of subjects, from
landscapes and people to folk customs,
animals and flower-and-bird compositions.
Kang praised Kim profusely, saying, “His
skill is unprecedented. He paints as if he
has snatched nature’s harmony. He has
both gifted talent and a brilliant mind.”
Kim Hong-do lived up to his reputation. The
恭齋
who realism of his works made him the model of
traditional Korean painting.
Kim Hongdo also learned landscape
painting and natural sketching from Sim
Sajeong,沈師正, 1707-1769 pen name Hyeonje.玄齋
He, as did Kang Sehwang, fostered the spirit
of the Southern School of Literati-painters,
exemplified by Yi Insaong,李麟祥, 1710-1760 pen
name Neunghogwan,凌壺館 and others. Of
course, the fundamentals of Kim’s painting
were also strongly influenced by Jeong Seon.
True-view landscapes reveal Kim Hong-
do’s artistry at its very best. In 1788, he
traveled together with Kim Eungwhan,
Byun 應煥, 1742-1789
pen name Bokheon,復軒 to Mt.
金
寅文, 1745-1824
Geumgang to sketch on the order of King
Jeongjo. That experience greatly enhanced
his ability to capture reality in his subjects.
That is, he perfected the method of depicting
objects precisely as they are perceived from
where the artist is standing. Outstanding
examples of this technique include
Chongseok Pavilion,叢石亭圖 part of Kim’s
compilation Painting Album of the Year Eul-
myo,乙卯年畵帖 as well as Oksun Peak,玉筍峯圖 and
Bright Moon over Sparse Forest, 疏林明月圖 which
are included in his collection Painting
Album of the Year Byeong-jin.丙辰年畵帖
Kim Hongdo was well acquainted with
Western painting techniques, and his true-
view landscapes accurately portray the
scene in front of him, as if he were looking
through a 5mm or 50mm camera lens. His
3
rendition of Oksun Peak, a spectacular view
in the Danyang area, is a case in point. One
gets the impression that he must have used
a camera obscura.
2
t h e m e c o l l e c t i o n
Bright Moon over Sparse Forest is
important as an example of the artist’s
directing his attention toward an everyday
object rather than focusing on famous
landscape views or historical monuments.
Kim portrayed the beauty that can be
found in a common site of no renown. Kim
Hongdo in the late 18th Century (King
Jeongjo’s reign) and Jeong Seon in the early
18th Century (King Yeongjo’s reign) are the
two greatest masters of true-view paintings
in Late Joseon period. Consequently, Kim’s
influence continued to grow in the 19th
century. His brushwork style is evident in
the paintings of Mt. Geumgang found in
Yi Pung-ik’s 豊翼, 1804-1887
Eastern Wanderings
李
Oksun Peak Album 東遊帖 as well as in realistic landscapes
Joseon, 1796 by Kim Deuksin, 得臣, 1754-1822
Eon Chiwuk,
金
by Kim Hongdo, from the Album of the Byeongjin Year
ink and light color on paper Kim Hajong, 夏鍾
and Jo Jeong-gyu. 趙廷奎, 1791-?
金
6.7 × 1.6 cm Kim Hongdo’s true-view landscape style
2
3
The Samsung Museum of Art, Leeum
Treasure No. 78 is focused first and foremost on representing
2
the subject as perceived by the artist’s
eye. This is a modern approach to realism
rather than the literati-painters’ idealized
version, which is seen through the lens of
Neo-Confucian ideology. Thus, Kim Hong-
do and the Tang Chinese literati whom he
admired saw the ideal realm in the here and
now rather than in the deep recesses of the
mind. Kim’s delicate use of light ink and
light color as well as his unfettered realism
are well represented in his landscapes.
Bright Moon over Sparse Forest
Joseon, 1796
by Kim Hongdo, from the Album of the Byeongjin Year
ink and light color on paper
6.7 × 1.6 cm
2
3
The Samsung Museum of Art, Leeum
Treasure No. 78
2
0 1
3
One of the most famous Korean
paintings after Kim Hong-do is Winter Scene
歲寒圖
by Kim Jeonghui, 正喜, 1786-1856
pen name
金
Chusa. 秋史
This is not a real landscape but
rather the portrayal of an idealized world
as conveyed by members of the Southern
School of Literati-painters. On the one hand,
the work reflects the artistic expression in
the declining years of the Joseon kingdom.
However, it also shows that Korean painters
could not take the realism explored in the
18th century to new heights.
In addition to the true-view landscape
movement, cartography represented a new-
found awareness of indigenous territory
in Late Joseon. The artists saw their
land as having unique beauty, while the
嚴致郁
scientific advancement of maps brought
administrative units, state boundaries
and other political ramifications. Such
reproductions of the real world can be
described as a latent force for bringing Late
Joseon culture together.
Of course, maps that resembled
paintings developed with the advent of
true-view landscapes, led by Jeong Seon.
Maps of Joseon and provinces within the
kingdom starting with Yun Duseo and
subsequently by Jeong Sanggi,鄭尙驥, 1678-1752
Sin Gyeongjun,申景濬, 1712-1781 Jeong Cheoljo 鄭喆祚,
1730-1781
and Kim Jeongho 正浩
provide not
金
only geographical information but also an
artistic beauty in their own right.
3
p e o p l e
Mutually Prosperous
Relationship
between NMK and
Cultural Foundation
An interview with Han Yong-oe,
Director of Cultural Foundation of NMK
A month or so has passed since your
appointment as the new Director of Cultural
Foundation of NMK. You must have just finished
the initial analysis of the new environment and
role, and envisaged a master plan for your term.
What is the plan?

I officially started my three-year tenure on July
21 and feel the tremendous responsibility that
accompanies the position. The cooperation with the
Board members is important more than anything
else. Thus the first question I asked to Choe Kwang-
shik, Director-general of NMK, right before I started
32
my term was “Has the Board been formed yet?”
We already had the first Board meeting and
it was a great kickoff. The Board is comprised of
experts from diverse disciplines, and we will be
able to exchange many great ideas as well as to plan
a lot of productive projects. Previously, the Board
was convened for three to four times per year,
which is not enough to smoothly handle the affairs
of the Foundation. The Board decided to meet on a
monthly basis from now. I believe the Foundation
can live up to its mandate when all the Board
members including myself work with pride and
sense of fulfillment.
I am glad that I have another chance to
contribute to the cultural community. I will make
good use of my experience of leading the Samsung
Foundation of Culture and doing culture-related
jobs for a long time. Following my appointment,
I heard people saying that I am “the right person
for the Director position” or “the most appropriate
person to lead the Cultural Foundation of NMK.”
Frankly speaking, I was a little bit overwhelmed
by such remarks. I want to live up to the high
expectation that people have on me. I will do my
utmost to ensure that the Foundation will develop
further and operate more efficiently.
How do you define the relationship between
NMK and Culture Foundation?

There are five common duties that any museums
should fulfill: the collection of relics, conservation
treatment, academic research, exhibition, and
education. It is a challenging task to perform all of
the five functions reasonably well. An inclination
toward a certain one could easily lead to negligence of
the others. When it comes to education, in particular,
NMK runs diverse education programs but the other
equally important functions of the museum restrict
the programs from reaching out far enough. An
important purpose of the Foundation is to assist the
Museum. When the two institutions develop diverse
education programs together, such as workshops
for kids and plays intended to inspire interest in
history, we could share the joy of culture and arts
with the public through a wider range of channels.
Put differently, the primary role of the Foundation is
to create as many opportunities for people to enjoy
culture as possible through any imaginable ways
apart from exhibition which is an exclusive domain of
the Museum.
Currently, however, the Foundation is focusing on
for-profit businesses including restaurants, souvenir
shop, and Theater Yong. But profitability is just one
dimension of the operation. The Foundation should
support the Museum in a multi-dimensional manner
so that the Museum can fulfill its mandate.
In some overseas museums, the scope of culture
foundation activities encompasses not only the
operation of the museum amenities but also the
organization of education programs, seminars, art
performances, and outdoor events. I have attended
state dinners hosted by the Metropolitan Museum
of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the British
Museum, the experiences were amazing. I think we
will soon see museum events in Korea get more liberal
and flexible.
The phrase ‘businessman turned into culture
brain’ always follows your name due to your
unusual career development. How were you
attracted to culture and arts and what are the
positive effects created by the combination of
culture and business?

I worked in the Samsung Group for 35 years where
I supervised culture, art, public well-being, and
scholarship projects of the Group for 11 years.
Naturally, I’ve developed strong affiliation with
culture and arts.
My experience teaches for the great synergy
emerging from the coupling of cultural mind
and business mind. The operation of museum
amenities absolutely requires business mind
as the profitability is important. However, the
ultimate goal of the Foundation is to enrich the
cultural life of the public. To achieve the goal, we
should constantly strive to add “wow” factors that
could create an excellent museum experience in
combination with the exhibitions.
The earnings from the for-profit businesses can
be reinvested in developing such “wow” factors,
forming a benign cycle. I also expect cultural
projects will become more productive if such
business concepts as operational efficiency and
marketing are applied.
It is quite difficult to raise the public awareness
of culture as a thing of joy. When did you feel
people’s attitude to culture changing?

Culture is not a matter of brain but a matter of soul.
It is desirable if you have cultural knowledge. More
importantly, however, you should have a big heart to
feel and enjoy.
In these days, music concerts are being staged by
opinion leaders motivated by pure musical interest
and amateur culture clubs with a membership of
500-1,000 like-minded business CEOs and ordinary
people are increasing in numbers. These are
encouraging signs showing that our society has begun
to perceive culture as something to enjoy. I hope this
re-discovery of the importance of culture-mindedness
by the older generation could change the way of the
younger generation to perceive culture and arts.
Your strong commitment to raising the cultural
awareness of the people is obvious. What are
your ambitions for the future as the Director of
Culture Foundation of NMK?

As I mentioned previously, cultural mind develops
naturally if you are continuously exposed to
culture from childhood. The experience of
learning, hearing, seeing, touching, and feeling
culture should accumulate for 30-40 years to
create a soul with cultural mind. These days, our
children are losing opportunities to appreciate
the classical music, plays, and paintings, which is
a serious problem. Of course the children who are
being professionally trained to become pianists
or ballerinas are a different matter. Koreans are
talented and many Korean prodigies who started
professional training in childhood are already
world-class players with great fame, including
ballerina Kang Suejin, video art pioneer Paik
Namjune, and soprano Jo Sumi. But few people may
think that the Korean people’s cultural living has
also reached a comparable level.
The Foundation is rigorously offering education
programs on the Korean culture to children of the
multi-cultural families in rural areas. The children
of multi-cultural families in Korea are estimated to
account for over 40% of the total youth population
by 2019. If these kids grow up and become members
of the society without proper education on history
and culture of Korea, the outcome is too obvious.
It would be hard for them to survive the domestic
as well as international competition due to a shaky
cultural foundation. A visit to the theater made
in the 40s or 50s can hardly form cultural mind.
Well aware of this, the NMK Cultural Foundation
will stay committed to supporting the cultural
maturing of the young Koreans, together with the
Museum.
33
i n f o c u s
Conservation
Treatment of
the Gilt-Bronze
Crown
Written by Jeon Hyosoo
Metal Consevator of the Conservation Science Team
Gilt bronze is bronze on which a thin layer of gold is
deposited by chemical means. In the ancient times,
various objects were created out of gilt bronze as the
material is much cheaper than pure gold and still
presents the precious feel of gold. A prime example
is a gilt-bronze crown.
The latest subject of conservation treatment
is the gilt-bronze crown donated in 1981 by Lee
Hong-geun,李洪根, 1900-1980 a famous antique collector
also known by penname Dongweon. 東垣
While the
crown is big in size, the material is very thin and
fragile due to serious corrosion. The conservation
treatment process was focused on putting together
the numerous broken pieces to restore the original
shape and ensuring the original shape is stably
maintained.
The conservation treatment of the gilt-bronze
crown which had been protected inside a vacuum
package was decided for the NMK special exhibition
on Hwangnamdaechong. The process involves four
steps: examine the pre-treatment state, glue the
broken pieces, remove dirt and corrosion, and
restore the original shape.
4 5
3
Glue the broken pieces
Gilt-Bronze Crown for Golden Splendors:
The Royal Tomb of Silla, Hwangnamdaechong

Corroded bronze is crispy and easy to break even
into dusts. The state of the gilt-bronze crown
was so fragile that it couldn’t endure even a mild
pressure. The crown was already parted into many
fragments. First, small pieces were joined together
to form larger pieces of fragments, which were, in
turn, put together to complete the overall shape of
the crown.
The adhesive of choice is cyanoacrylate which
dries fast and can not only connect pieces but
also reinforce the fragile joints. The first step was
to put two fragments supposed to be connected
together and hold them in place before applying
the adhesive. In the next step, a sufficient amount
of the adhesive was applied to the joint so that
the chemical could permeate deep into the joint.
(Cyanoacrylate residue on the surface was wiped
out by cotton swabs soaked in acetone.) This
seemingly reversed sequence of work was chosen to
prevent errors because cyanoacrylate dries real fast
Examine the pre-treatment state and thus does not allow enough time to put pieces
together to fit properly.

The thorough investigation of pre-treatment state is
the first and most critical step in any conservation
treatment case, as the findings are the basis on
which to select the most appropriate chemicals,
materials, and methods for treatment. In this
stage, the detailed dimensions are measured,
ordinary and x-ray photos are taken, and the pre-
treatment state is carefully documented in a record
card. In the case of the gilt-bronze crown, a set
of actual measurement data collected in diverse
archaeological studies was already available,
facilitating the pre-treatment examination.
Before treatment, the daeryun 臺輪, main rim was
broken to two large pieces and partially lost. Ipsik
立飾, prongs
were also broken into splinters and some
parts were missing. The glamorous golden color was
invisible as the gold plating was mostly covered
with the corroded bronze, the base metal.
Remove dirt and corrosion

As the crown had been buried underground for a
long time, the surface was polluted with soil and
dirt. The pollutants must be removed not only
because they hurt the esthetics of the treasure but
also because the water content of the pollutants
could further corrode the crown. The pollutants
were physically eliminated using pins, scalpels,
and ultrasonic scalers under a microscope.
Bronze corrosion is classified into nontoxic
and toxic rust. Typically, hard rust is nontoxic and
granulated rust is toxic. Granulated rust decays
faster as its contact with water produces an acid.
Previously, the corrosion on a gilt-bronze relic was
removed indiscriminately without considering the
toxicity. These days, however, toxic rust is definitely
removed and nontoxic rust is selectively gotten rid
of. Although the indiscriminate removal of bronze
rust could partially revive the original splendor, it
could also eliminate the antique feel or the natural
beauty.
The toxic rust that occurred on the surface
of the gilt-bronze crown was removed as much
as possible in the same way as with the other
pollutants, and the nontoxic corrosion was partially
removed to reveal the gold plating layer.
Restore the original shape

A series of archaeological studies proved that this
particular gilt-bronze crown was made when the
Silla gold crown culminated in its luxurious style. A
typical Silla gold crown comprised of the main rim
and three prongs in the shape of stacked Chinese
character “山” mountain and two prongs in the shape of
a deer antler. While the missing part of the prongs
in the shape of stacked Chinese character “山” could
be restored with reasonable accuracy, the original
shape of the gilt-bronze crown’s deer antler-shape
prongs was hard to figure out except the design
appeared to be especially unique and complicated,
as the prongs were seriously damaged. Indeed, none
gilt-bronze crowns created in the similar period
remains intact today. Consequently, the formative
restoration of the deer-antler prongs couldn’t go
beyond carefully joining the remaining fragments
as much as possible.
Mock restoration showed the maximum
height is 46cm, proving the gilt-bronze crown is
the largest of its kind in Korea. The conservation
team concluded that the thin material couldn’t
survive the treatment process and decided to make
a supportive structure on which the crown could be
fixed while the restoration procedure went on.
The formative restoration involved five stages:
1. Glue the pieces of daeryun and the missing
part was restored with epoxy; 2. Reconnect the
broken fragments of the five prongs and restore
the lost parts; 3. Create an acrylic base plate and
fix the restored daeryun to the plate; 4. Set up five
square columns (1cm x 1cm x 50cm) on the acrylic
base plate; 5. Connect the daeryun and the prongs
together and attach the prongs to the columns with
jointing accessories.
3
e x p l o r e
The Korean Gallery of the British Museum
celebrates its 10th anniversary on November 8, 2010.
The British Museum is planning a “Korea Study Day”
to celebrate this occasion. The program includes
lectures by three leading experts in Korean fine
arts and family education events co-organized by
British Museum and the Korean Cultural Centre
UK in London to allow the museum visitor to
experience Korean history and culture. Over the
past decade, the Korea Foundation Gallery has
significantly contributed to promoting the time-
honored history and unique culture of Korea to
tourists visiting and people from London, a centre
of European culture and city of museums.
The official name of the Korean gallery, “Korea
Foundation Gallery,” follows the British Museum’s
tradition of naming an exhibition gallery after
the person or institution that provides the major
funding for the gallery. The staff members casually
call the Korean gallery “Gallery 67.” Clustered with
the China, South and Southeast Asia, and Japan
galleries, the Korean gallery forms the Asia zone
in the King Edward VII building. It took almost 20
years until the Korean gallery was opened after
initial discussions about a Korean gallery started
in the 1980s. As the relocation of the British Library,
which used to be share a building with the British
Museum, was finalized, space was freed to allow
planning a Korean gallery. The planning reached
an important milestone with the agreement signed
between the Korea Foundation and the British
Museum in 1992 regarding the establishment of the
Korean Gallery.
The preparations for the Korean gallery
progressed steadily under the curatorship of Jane
Portal who majored in the Chinese Studies at the
The British University of Cambridge and was then the curator
responsible for the Korean collections (currently
Museum’s Chair of the Department of Asia, Oceania and Africa
at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). However, the
Foundation opening scheduled for 1997, after the British Library
had moved out, was delayed and the Museum held
Gallery a special interim exhibition Arts of Korea in the
former map library that was to become the Korean
Written by Oh Youngchan gallery, from May 1997 through October 1999. The
Curator of the Asian Art Department
Korea Foundation Gallery in the British Museum
was finally opened on November 8, 2000.
6 The Trustees of the British Museum
3
While the Korean collections in the British
Museum, collected for over a century, are the
largest and of the highest quality in Europe, they
are less extensive compared to the collections in
Japan or the US. This is because of the rather less
vigorous personal exchange between Korea and
the UK in the late 19th century and the early 20th
century when the political, economic, and cultural
ties of the two nations were relatively weak.
Consequently, not many Korean artifacts were
shipped to the UK and Europe. However, collecting
activities throughout the 20th century secured
masterpieces of Korean art for the British Museum,
such as the White Porcelain Moon Jar 17-18th century
and the Lacquer Sutra Box Goryeo 13th century
are
masterpieces that show the essence of the Korean
fine arts.
In the lobby at the gallery entrance, you will
first encounter large ceramic works by Kim Ik-
yeong and Won Daejeong which are their modern
interpretations of traditional Joseon white
porcelain ware. Pull the doors wide open and the
375m² room decorated with a unique traditionally
Korean hardwood floor and wood window frames
reveals the classy splendor of Korean space. The
color scheme of the walls and ceiling, based on the
mysterious white color of Korean white porcelain,
is moderate but elegant, creating an optimal
backdrop for the Korean antiquities, characterized
by unpretentious beauty.
The main flow of the exhibition is a sequential
display of the collection in chronological order,
which begins with the ancient cultures, followed
by Buddhist sculpture of the Unified Silla period,
celadon stoneware and metalwork of the Goryeo
period, and porcelain and paintings of the Joseon
period and finishes with Korean craftwork. This
conceptual framework is based on Jane Portal’s
publication Korea: Art and Archaeology (British
Museum Press, 2000), which introduces Korean
material culture from prehistory to the present.
The Korean gallery also houses a sarangbang,
or scholar's study, reproduced in strict conformity
to the typical sarangbang design of the late Joseon
period and the traditional building method of
Korea. A sarangbang is a special-purpose room for
scholars where they read books, took a rest, and
Lacquer Sutra Box
Goryeo, 13th century
Korea Foundation Gallery
The Trustees of the British Museum
received guests. To build the sarangbang in the
Korean gallery, master carpenters of traditional
Korean architecture shipped all the timbers
and other materials to the UK from Korea and
constructed the building in the gallery. Inside the
sarangbang, traditional stationeries and furniture
are on display enabling the visitors to understand
the daily life of a Joseon scholar. The sarangbang is
the favored spot in the Korean gallery for visitors to
take souvenir photos.
In addition to its own collections, the British
Museum also showcases old books and maps on
loan from the British Library which include a 16th
century Korean translation of the Daxue 大學, The Great
Learning
written by Zhu Xi 朱子, 1130-120 as well as old
and rare copies of Korean novels and literature that
illustrate the new trends in science and technology
in the late Joseon. NMK is dispatching curators to
support the research of the Korean collections and
act as curatorial advisors, as part of its cooperation
with the British Museum. NMK is also striving to
regularly support updates of the displays. From
October this year, a new set of excavated silver and
gold artefacts from Silla tombs and iron and gilt
bronze weapons, armour and horse equipment
from the Three Kingdoms period are on loan
from the NMK to show the splendors of the Three
Kingdoms and Unified Silla to the visitors.
The British Museum is free to all visitors and
is open daily all year. There is no doubt that the
Korea Foundation Gallery at this museum, where
the material remains of all human cultures reside
together under one roof, will play a critical role in
acquainting museum goers in the UK and the world
with the original beauty of Korean culture.
7
3
 n m k v i s i t o r s
“I'd like to write
an article about cults of
Bodhisattvas in the
Korean art”
Interview with Julia Elikhina (Russia)
Recipient of 2010 NMK Senior Fellowship Program
The NMK Senior Fellowship Program offers
participants opportunities to deepen understanding
of Korean art and archeology; the person is expected
to join a variety of academic activities and required
to present research paper as the final outcome of
the program. The 2010 final recipient is Dr. Julia
Elikhina, curator of the State Hermitage Museum’s
oriental department.
Why did you decide to apply to the
fellowship program of the National
Museum of Korea?

I study Buddhist art for a long time. We have a good
collection of Far Eastern bronze sculptures at the
Hermitage, including Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese,
and Mongolian. But there were several objects I
couldn’t determine; the Korean sculptures. It was
the beginning of my interest to Korean Buddhist
culture. It differs from other countries of Far
East, having its own specific features. I was very
surprised when I saw some Korean influence on the
painting from Khara-Khoto. There are big figures of
monks having strong presence as much as Buddhas,
which is impossible in Tibetan iconography.
Lamaism (Tibetan Buddhism) arts also influenced
to Korean Buddhist sculptures during the 13th
-15th centuries. Therefore it was important for me to
study Korean Buddhist art.
8 9
3
You have chosen study subjects of the
fellowship program as “Buddhist Art
and Culture in Korea.” Do you have
particular reason to choose these topics?

I’ve written a book about the cult of bodhisattvas
and their reincarnations in Buddhist culture and
art, and it will be published in December in Russia.
The book is based on Tibetan materials as well
materials from China, Japan, Nepal, Mongolia
and other countries of South-Eastern Asia, but
practically nothing from Korea. Therefore, it is
important for me to know about Buddhist art
and culture of Korea. When I begin to study the
sculpture and painting of Korea, I was shocked by
the superior quality. Those are not only national
treasures but also world class heritages. As a
specialist of the field, I noticed Chinese and Tibetan
Buddhism influence on it. Nevertheless, there are
definitely prominent national features in it, and it
is very important for my studies.
Is this your first visit to NMK?
What was your impression of the museum,
particularly as a long-time staff of the
Hermitage for more than 20 years?
Do you see any difference between Korea
and Russia?

I think all big museums have much in common;
the organization of visitor services, requirements
to expositions, work of curators and restorers,
and educational activities. I like very much your
restoration of lacquerwares that we couldn’t
implement, as well as restoration of oriental
paintings. Unfortunately many restorers of other
n m k
“Finding
the Goguryeo
History
and Culture”
Travelling Exhibition Service
countries work on painting of East Asia without
proper knowledge particularly in relation with
Chinese paintings. I was also very surprised
with the children's museum, because I’ve seen
anything similar neither in Europe nor in America.
NMK gives a lot of attention to children, and it is
very nice. And park, monuments, pagodas, and
sculptures here are absolutely remarkable. Earlier I
saw some of them only by pictures. When you face
such monument standing in front of you, it leaves
an indelible impressions lasting for your life.
A month or so has passed since you’ve started
the fellowship program. Would you recommend
the program to your people?

The program offers a great opportunity to study and
focus on relevant fields with no distraction, which
is not given very often to researchers. I personally
consider this program as some kind of a destiny
gift. Certainly, I will recommend this valuable
opportunity to colleagues specialized in oriental
art or lacquerwares restorers. At the Hermitage,
unfortunately, we do not have an extensive
collection of Korean art, but I think the program
will be intriguing to the curators at the Museum of
Ethnographies and Anthropology, or the Museum
of the Oriental Arts in Moscow.
e d u c a t i o n
NMK Travelling Exhibition is an initiative made
to enable residents and students in culturally
marginalized regions to experience the relics
of NMK and the traditional Korean culture. In a
vehicle specially built for the program, diverse NMK
relics are showcased along with commentaries and
culture-themed movies are run, offering a special
time for local residents having less possibilities to
cultural experience.
Beginning with the first exhibition at the
Pyeongchang Elementary School in Gangwon
province in 1990, Travelling Exhibition Service has
travelled to local festivals, schools in isolated islands
and remote areas, public welfare centers, military
barracks, and cultural facilities around the nation
introducing diverse programs for over 20 years. As
the most long-lasting education program of NMK,
the Travelling Exhibition visited 588 locations in
358 trips in total meeting 1.49 million people.
In fall of 2010, the museum on the go is running
an exhibition titled the Finding the Goguryeo History
and Culture that introduces the significance of the
history and culture of the ancient kingdom focusing
on the sites and relics designated as the UNESCO
World Heritages. The exhibition is also intended
to understand how the Northeast Project of China
distorts historical truths.
The collection is comprised of 62 pieces of
replicated and restored Goguryeo antiquities
including such representative items as iron
swords with ring pommel; horn bows; gilt-bronze
ornaments with openwork sun-shaped patterns;
gilt-bronze diadem ornaments; gilt-bronze shoes.
These extraordinary items of the Goguryeo metal
art are displayed along with easy-to-understand
explanatory notes. Also featured are hands-on
experiential programs such as the woodblock
printing of Goguryeo calligraphic works and tomb
murals, takbon 拓本, rubbed coping of sumaksae (convex tiles
at the edge of eaves), pattern stamping, archery,
and stilt-walking, adding a dynamic dimension to
the visitors’ experience.
In 2010, the Travelling Exhibition Service visits
53 institutions in 35 regions with the overarching
theme “Union in Culture.” NMK hopes to see the
program continue to be welcomed as a space filled
with the aroma of traditional Korean culture as
well as a channel through which to look back on
our history, while delivering the joy of culture to
more people.
3
n m k n e w s
Exhibitions
Gold Crown, a Symbol of Silla
Date August 17, 2010 – February 13, 2011
Venue Silla Room, Prehistory and Ancient History Gallery

The Gold Crown, a Symbol of Silla displays three National
Treasures, including the gold crown excavated from
Cheonmachong 天馬塚 (Heavenly Horse Tomb) in 1973. The
Gold Crown from Cheonmachong 天馬塚 冠 (National Treasure
金
No.188), currently housed in the Gyeongju National
Museum, visits Seoul for the second time since it was
first introduced to the public in 1974 at the NMK special
exhibition Distinguished Treasures of Silla.
The special exhibition is prepared in link with the
Golden Splendors: The Royal Tomb of Silla, Hwangnamdaechong,
so that NMK visitors can appreciate the two most
representative gold crowns of Silla from Cheonmachong and
Hwangnamdaechong 皇南大塚 in a single visit.
The Cheonmachong gold crown is a typical Silla gold
crown that has three branch-shape prongs and two
deer antler-shape prongs established on the headband.
Sophisticatedly decorated with numerous pieces of gokok 曲玉
(comma-shaped blue jade beads) and dalgae 瓔珞 (dangling
chains of gold in the shape of leaves), the Cheonmachong gold
crown is regarded as one of the finest Silla gold crowns.
Tomb Murals of the Four Guardian Deities
from Gangseojungmyo
Date August 17 – November 28, 2010
Venue Goguryeo Room, Prehistory and
Ancient History Gallery

The tomb murals of the four guardian deities from
Gangseojungmyo,江西中墓 (Middle Tomb of Gangseo) are prime
cases of the late Goguryeo tomb murals. The exhibition
casts light on the expression and meaning of the four
guardian deities or sasin,四神 which emerged as the unitary
theme of the Goguryeo tomb murals since the 6th century,
as a medium through which to understand Goguryeo
people’s delicate esthetic appetite and unique concept of the
afterworld.
It is for the first time in Korea that the murals depicting
the four guardian deities and paintings on the ceiling from
Gangseojungmyo, which has recently been inscribed on the
UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List, are displayed in
the same location since they were first known to the world
about a century ago.
4 0
The Painting and Calligraphy of Yi Insang
Date September 14 – December 5, 2010
Venue Calligraphy and Painting Gallery

The exhibition commemorating the 300th anniversary of
the birth of Yi Insang,李麟祥, 1710-1760 a great master of the
literati painting or muninhwa 文人畵 prevalent in the late
Joseon period also known by penname Neunghogwan, 壺觀
凌
offers a chance to appreciate the spirit of the Joseon period
literati expressed in the paintings of Yi Insang.
In the context of the Korean art history, Yi Insang is
regarded as a great literati painter who achieved an unique
painting style that superbly expresses the fragrance of
letters and enlightenment achieved through reading,文字香書卷氣
the essence of paintings and calligraphy suggested by Kim
Jeonghi 金正喜, 1786-1856 and Jo Hiryong,趙熙 , 1797-1859 the
龍
painters of the early 19th century.
Part 1 focuses on the life and friendship of Yi Insang
captured in his painting. Part 2 cherishes the refined taste
and classy spirit of the Joseon literati via Yi Insang’s world
of art. Part 3 provides insights into the ideal that the Joseon
literati painters pursued.
Ethnic Earthenware from Asian's Heart
Date September 14, 2010 – September 11, 2011
Venue Kaneko Kazushige Room, Donation Gallery

Ethnic Earthenware from Asian’s Heart is the second theme
exhibition after Asian Lacquerware in 2006. The exhibition
is planned to cast light on the lives of diverse ethnic groups
through the Asian ethno-forms made of clay selected from
the donation of Dr. Kaneko Kazushige 金子量重 numbering
1,020. The collection is comprised of some 100 items of
diverse Asian earthenware including vessels, Buddhist
statues, masks, and clay figures. Notably, part of the
collection is introduced to the public for the first time. These
debut items are categorized into Southeast Asia, South Asia,
and West Asia according to the origin so that the viewers
can easily understand the different characteristics. The
section that explains the earthenware production process
showcases photos that captured the production process of
Nepal, Thailand, and Myanmar along with the tools used
and finished earthenware.
A Dagger and Gold Scabbard from the West:
Choe,
The Excavation of Gyerim-ro Kwang-shik
Tomb No.14, Gyeongju
Date Director-General,
September 27 – November 21, 2010
Venue Silla room, Prehistory and Ancient
National History Gallery
Museum of Korea
Autumn 010

2
The dagger and gold scabbard showcased in the exhibition
was excavated from Gyerim-ro Tomb No.14 sitting on the
eastern site of Daereungweon 大陵苑 (tomb park). Gyerim-
ro Tomb No.14 is one of the Silla royal tombs discovered in
1973 in the course of road construction. A Dagger and Gold
Scabbard from the West: The Excavation of Gyerim-ro Tomb No.
14, Gyeongju introduces new findings from the conservation
treatment and scientific analysis. The collection also includes
other relics numbering about 120.
The dagger and gold scabbard is regarded as a symbol
of the East-West cultural exchange via the Silk Road. The
exhibition that highlights the rigorous international trades
in the early 6th century Silla and touches upon unsolved
questions about the splendid burial ornaments and the
mysterious owner of the tomb will renew the public attention
to the glamorous culture of Silla.
Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist Painting
Date October 12 – November 21, 2010
Venue Special Exhibition Gallery

The exhibition brings together Goryeo Buddhist paintings
from all over the world in the largest exhibition of its kind in
history. Goryeo Buddhist paintings are widely seen as some
of the most beautiful religious art in the world. Currently,
there are known to be approximately 160 Goryeo Buddhist
paintings around the world, and 61 pieces out of these are to
be included in this exhibition. The exhibition also features
20 Buddhist paintings from China's Southern Song and Yuan
Dynasties and Japan's Kamakura period, allowing visitors to
compare various East Asian Buddhist paintings over a similar
period. Also on display will be five Buddhist paintings from
the early Joseon era, inheritors to the tradition of Goryeo, as
well as 22 statues of the Buddha and metal crafts from the
Goryeo era, for a total of 108 artworks.
Baekje Room Renovation
Date From October 28, 2010
Venue Baekje Room, Prehistory and
Ancient History Gallery

NMK unveils the renovated Baekje Room on October 28 that
marks the museum’s 5th year in Yongsan.
The permanent exhibition is constituted by three zones:
Zone 1 is dedicated to the foundation and growth of Baekje 百濟,
18 BC-660 and showcases relics excavated from Pungnaptoseong
風納土城 and Mongchontoseong夢村土城 (two of the representative
earthen fortresses of the early Baekje built at the edge of the
Han River and believed to protect the first capital of Baekje
called Hanamwiryeseong河南慰 城), as well as other historical
禮
sites around the country. Zone 2 introduces the life style and
Buddhist culture of Baekje in the Ungjin period 熊津期, 475-538
and the Sabi period.泗沘期, 538-660 The Baekje culture peaked in
the Sabi period when Sabi was the capital. During the period,
the Baekje people enjoyed a very high standard of living in
every aspect of society from arts and religion to economy.
Zone 3 is themed on Baekje’s international exchange and
powerful local clans. Notably, the culture of the strong local
power formed along the Youngsan River is highlighted.
Publications
Joseon: The Land of scholar,
farmer, craftsman, and merchant

The publication is a catalog for Joseon Room of Medieval and
Modern History Gallery. Chapter 1 describes the foundation
and institution reforms of Joseon as well as the culmination
of science and culture and the creation of hangul, during
the reign of Sejong the Great.世宗大王, r.1397-1418 Chapter 2
introduces the unique culture of the sarim 士林 (Forest of
Scholars), a powerful faction of literati in the Joseon while
reviewing the diplomatic relations with neighboring China
and Japan. Chapter 3 focuses on the new political order,
social institutions, and customs that emerged after the
wars with Japan. Chapter 4 illustrates the development of
Silhak,實學 an empirical Confucian social reform movement
in late Joseon advocating national identity and welfare of
the people. Chapter 5 portrays the cheoksa 斥邪 (anti-foreign)
and gaehwa 開化 (reformist) movements amid the increasing
influence of Western powers, and independent efforts to
modernization in the late Joseon period.
ISBN 978-89-93719-10-9
Golden Splendors:
The Royal Tomb of Silla, Hwangnamdaechong

The catalogue of Golden Splendors: The Royal Tomb of Silla,
Hwangnamdaechong consists of three parts. Part 1 “The Power
of the Living Preserved over the Tomb of the Dead” shows
the successor of power built the mega-scale tomb for the
preceding ruler, in an attempt to open a new era backed by
the great legacy of the late king. Part 2 “The Maripgan-Ruled
Silla in the Northeast Asian History” reviews the Silla period
when Maripgans,麻立干, Silla monarchs ruled the kingdom.
Part 3 “Maripgan Opens the Kingdom of Gold” explains the
historical background against which Hwangnamdaechong,
the largest Silla royal tomb ever discovered, was created.
ISBN 978-89-93518-12-2
Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist Painting

NMK publishes the catalog for feature exhibition
Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist Painting in two editions. The
full edition features the photos of the entire collection
on display at the exhibition as well as commentaries and
columns. The abbreviated edition contains the photos
of major masterpieces along with brief explanation. The
contents follow the format of the exhibition starting
from “Prologue: Flower of Truth” to “Part 1 Buddha, the
Enlightened Being,” “Part 2 Bodhisattva and Liberation of
All Sentient Beings,” “Part 3 the Arahat, the Attained One,”
“Part 4 Buddhist Paintings in Neighboring Countries,” and
“Epilogue: Legacy Continued.”
ISBN 978-89-960957-8-1