Quarterly Magazine
VOL.46 WINTER 2019
National Museum of Korea in Seoul is operated along with 13 affiliated national museums.
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Quarterly Magazine VOL.46 WINTER 2019
EXHIBITIONS
COLLECTIONS
ACTIVITIES
02 Current
19 New Treasure
33 Museum Scene
Goryeo: The Glory of Korea
Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers 34 Focus
10 Essay
20 Art and Stories
Yi Gyubo, Espousing the Beauty of
The Five Hundred Arhats from
The Beauty of Slowness
Changnyeongsa Temple Site, Icons of
Goryeo Celadon
Respite and Healing 26 Seasons Heritage
12 Current
A Humble Hat and Clogs:
The Enchanting Journey to
38 News
Why Memorial Rites for Su Shi are Held in
Korean Civilization
the Middle of Winter
40 Education
16 Interview Like Mother Like Son: A Taste for the Same Things
The Museum On Air
AFFILIATED NATIONAL MUSEUMS
30 Current Jeolla-do and Its People over the Past 1000 Years
Cover Buddhist arts at Part 2 of the special exhibition Goryeo: The Glory of Korea
Publisher National Museum of Korea 137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04383, Republic of Korea www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/home Editorial Direction Design Team, National Museum of Korea Tel: (82 2) 2077–9573, Fax: (82 2) 2077–9258, Email: polagu47@korea.kr Design and Production aNSWER Photography Park Jung Hoon Photo Studio Translation Cho Yoonjung / Nathaniel Kingdon / Timothy Atkinson Revision Chung Eunsun / Hwang Chiyoung
Publication Date January 20, 2019 Printed in Korea. Copyright © 2019 National Museum of Korea. ISSN 2005 – 1123 Note to Readers The related information of image is given in the following order: title, period or produced date, artist, material, dimensions. Items from other institutions are classified by their collection names. w ww.museum.go.kr/site/eng/archive/ebook/all (PDF downloads available)
CURRENT
Buddhist sculptures sitting in a row at Part 2 of the special exhibition
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Goryeo: The Glory of Korea By Jeong Myeonghee, Curator of the Fine Arts Division, National Museum of Korea
National Museum of Korea December 4, 2018 - March 3, 2019
The Goryeo Dynasty was a nation that existed in Korea’s Medieval period, lasting 500 years from its foundation in 918 till its fall in 1392. The special exhibition Goryeo: The Glory of Korea is the first large-scale exhibition since the country’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule to give a comprehensive overview of Goryeo art. Organized to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the foundation of the Goryeo Dynasty, it brings together 450 items gathered from a total of 45 organizations, 11 in four countries overseas and 34 in Korea. The largest gathering of Goryeo art in one place, the exhibition is an opportunity to see Goryeo artworks from all over the world.
Fig.1 Parcel Gilt-silver Ewer with Basin Goryeo Dynasty, 12th century H. 34.3 cm (ewer) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.A. Photograph © 20 Jan 2019 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Once Upon a Time in Korea When telling stories about the faraway past, Koreans very often start with the words “yennal yennal goritjeok-e.” Here, “goritjeok” refers to Goryeo period. The same Chinese characters can be pronounced several different ways. For example, the “ryeo 麗” character in the ancient kingdom name Goguryeo can also be pronounced ri, making goguri. In the same way, the name of Goryeo, the nation that succeeded the spirit of Goguryeo, can also be pronounced as gori. So perhaps Goryeo was considered to be far away in the distant past, which would explain why goritjeok was used to talk about something that happened a long, long time ago. Most Koreans find it hard to accurately recall the names of people, places, and sites related to the Goryeo Dynasty. This is related to the modern history of
Visitors looking at the Lacquered Statue of Buddhist Monk Huirang
Korea, marked by the tragedy of Japanese occupation and division of the nation into South and North. The vagueness of most people’s image of the Goryeo Dynasty is due to the fact that the old capital of Gaegyeong and the political, religious, cultural, and historical centers of Goryeo are now all located in North Korea, and no official excavation and research has been carried out. The Goryeo Dynasty is now inaccessible and has disappeared from the collective memory, which may be why it is perceived to be a nation far away in the past, as in a fairytale. We do not know much about the Goryeo Dynasty, which occupies the medieval period of Korean history. But the Goryeo Dynasty is not a forgotten foreign name. It is the origin of the modern name of the country, Korea, and we are still living in the land of the Goryeo people. However, we have no concrete memory of the Goryeo Dynasty, which is the medieval part of Korean national DNA. Rather than the cultural achievements of Goryeo for 475 years, perhaps we tend to first remember its history of war and suffering. But in a time of turbulence throughout East Asia, the Goryeo Dynasty managed to usher in the golden age of Korean culture. A photograph taken in 1918 shows Manwoldae, the royal palace of the Goryeo Dynasty located in Kaesong, in ruins. From the time Wang Geon, King Taejo, built the palace around the south of Songaksan Mountain in 919 to its destruction during the Red Turban invasions in 1361, Manwoldae served as the official residence of Goryeo kings. The year that the photograph was taken was the millennial of the foundation of the Goryeo Dynasty, but as Korea was suffering under Japanese occupation at the time, the occasion was not celebrated by anyone. For this reason, the 1,100th anniversary comes across as a particularly precious and momentous event.
Gaegyeong, an International City In 918, Wang Geon established a unified nation on the Korean Peninsula, putting
A display showing a banquet of the Goryeo royal court
an end to the time of division and disintegration of nations. The Goryeo Dynasty had its own unique view of the world and called itself an empire. This sense of its own identity as Daegoryeo, meaning “Great Goryeo,” is clearly revealed in historic records, extant inscriptions, the systems and the style of documents used at the Goryeo royal court, and government organization. This era was a time when various nations and peoples of East Asia were in upheaval. Through active exchange 2019 WINTER 05
In the middle of Part 2 of the exhibition fitting out to look like a temple
Fig.2 Colored Silk with Floral Design Goryeo Dynasty 13.5 × 22.8 cm National Museum of Korea
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with its neighbors, the Goryeo Dynasty adopted new cultural elements. It was an open country with a marked spirit of tolerance and unity, as evidenced by the fact that a foreigner was appointed prime minister. From the beginning, the Goryeo Dynasty was a society where diversity was respected. The story of the Goryeo Dynasty begins with the international city of Gaegyeong. For the first time in Korean history, the capital was located in the center of the peninsula. According to the History of Goryeo 高麗史, in the first half of the thirteenth century there were 100,000 homes in Gaegyeong. If five people lived in each home, the population of Gaegyeong would have reached 500,000. Considering that Florence, Italy had a population of around 100,000 at the time, we can imagine how big and bustling the city of Gaegyeong must have been. Gaegyeong was not simply a big city but an international city frequented by foreigners. Official trade based on diplomatic relations with the Song Dynasty, Khitans, and Jin Dynasty brought all sorts of products to Gaegyeong, while the Jurchens and Tamna Kingdom (now Jejudo Island) dispatched diplomatic missions. These foreigners took part in Festival of Eight Vows, called palgwanhoe 八關會 in Korean, one of the biggest state events of the Goryeo Dynasty, and presented gifts to the king as they prayed for his longevity. The nearby port of Byeongnando by the Yeseonggang River saw heavy traffic of ships, including cargo ships and merchant ships, and its taverns and pawn shops attracted many Song merchant ships as well. Based on written records, over the 260 years between the reigns of King Hyeonjong r. 1009– 1031 and King Chungnyeol r. 1274–1298, 1299–1308 in the late thirteenth century, about five thousand merchants visited Byeongnando on 120 different occasions. Song merchants brought with them silk, porcelain, medicine, books, musical instruments, paintings and calligraphy, gold leaf, tea, and other luxury goods for daily life as well
as handicraft products and their materials. They also introduced new knowledge and products from their trading partners in Southeast Asia, Western Asia, and India.
Composition of the Exhibition The exhibition, Goryeo: The Glory of Korea, is divided into three main parts according to different themes. Part 1, “Gaegyeong and the Art of the Goryeo Royal Court,” explores various goods that entered Goryeo over the sea. Gaegyeong was an international city frequented by many foreigners. In the sixth month of 1123, when King Injong r. 1122–1146 ascended the throne, a diplomatic mission from the Song Dynasty arrived in the city. Among them was Xu Jing 1091–1153, the envoy leading a delegation of 200 people sent by Emperor Huizong r. 1100–1125 of the Song Dynasty. Xu Jing wrote a book about his month-long
stay in Goryeo titled Illustrated Account of the Xuanhe Embassy to Goryeo 宣和奉使高麗圖經. He recorded in close detail all things he saw in words and pictures and presented the book to the emperor. But four years later the Northern Song Dynasty fell to the Jin Dynasty and the illustrations from the book were lost, leaving only the text. How did the Goryeo Dynasty appear in the eyes of a foreigner? Part 1 of the exhibition shows the artworks from Gaegyeong, the center of Goryeo, which we cannot visit for now Fig.1. Part 2 is titled “The Splendid Culture of the Goryeo Temples” Figs.2 and 3. Different faiths and systems of thought peacefully coexisted in the Goryeo Dynasty, among which Buddhism was adopted as the national religion and ideology. It was the center of life and the spirit; it was life itself. The culture of Goryeo reached a peak based Fig.3 Amitabha Buddha Goryeo Dynasty, 14th century Color on silk, 105.6 × 47.0 cm National Museum of Oriental Art, Rome, Italy © Museo delle Civiltà - MAO “G. Tucci”
A visitor looking at the Water-moon Avalokiteshvara
A display featuring the art and culture of the Goryeo intellectuals
Fig.4 Celadon Bowl with Chrysanthemum Scroll Design Goryeo Dynasty, 12th century H. 6.2 cm The Fitzwilliam Museum, U.K. © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
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on Buddhism. The state project to carve the Tripitaka Koreana, which was the entirety of Buddhist canon and the compilation of the wisdom of humanity, can be compared to the creation of a huge library. No nation either before or after the Goryeo Dynasty appear to have fully understood the spirit of Buddhism or developed it to such an extent. When you visit the exhibition, please take some time out at a place for tea, letting your spirit float on the wind. Before you know it, you will be turning your footsteps to Part 3, “Elegant Life and Art of Goryeo” Figs.4 and 5. Based on its unique view of the world, the Goryeo Dynasty maintained relations with nations in mainland China for more than two hundred years: with the Song Dynasty 960–1279, the Liao Dynasty 916–1125 when the Khitans defeated the Song Dynasty, and the Jin Dynasty 1115–1234 founded by the Jurchens. In the latter half of the Goryeo period, the Yuan Dynasty 1271– 1368 ruled over an unprecedentedly large
empire in China. The games of diplomacy played on all sides back then were no less fierce than what we see today. The path of diplomacy, however, was also the path of cultural exchange. The exquisite craft works of the Goryeo Dynasty are the products of such exchange, adoption of technology, and convergence of disparate elements. The art of the Goryeo Dynasty is the history of brave attempts. The diverse materials gathered from nature and the technology for processing them developed from the tenth to fourteenth century were the common cultural achievements of Northeast Asia. However, everything is decided by how technology is used. Deciding what to do with technology is what makes art.
Great Goryeo and the Glory of Its Art In Northeast Asian history, the period that can be compared to be the Middle Age in the West was a time of great changes and
upheavals when active exchange of people and goods took place. People aspired to a rational world ruled by reason and logic, but at the same time myths and legends and mysterious mantras also played a part in managing the world. Though history books are brief in their discussion of exchange at the time, the artworks handed down to this day provide ample evidence of Goryeo’s relationships with China, Japan, and other nations. This exhibition holds great meaning in that it sheds light on the cultural achievements of Northeast Asian nations brought about by international relations and exchange. A journey through the art of Goryeo touches on many of the issues that we face today. The Goryeo Dynasty did not ignore the cultural traditions of the preceding states but took a pluralistic attitude, actively carrying out exchange with its neighbors and developing a creative and cosmopolitan culture. The Goryeo Dynasty was a powerful nation yet with fine-tuned sensibilities. King Taejo left a will for his successors, reminding that a good king should earn the trust of the people. The emotions and sensibilities of the people were captured and given shape in art through the means of color, materials, and techniques. In the exhibition hall, visitors will encounter an earnest written prayer for the longevity of a two-year-old daughter and a prayer of a woman who dreamed of being reborn as a skilled doctor to save people’s lives or a painter to move people’s hearts with the sublimity of art. Of course, we do not know what everyday life in the Goryeo Dynasty was like. We have never climbed Songaksan Mountain in the capital, Gaegyeong, for it is as remote to us as other places in the North such as Baekdusan Mountain and the Kaema Plateau. Physically, the modern city of Kaesong is only 40 minutes away from Seoul by car, yet it too is inaccessible and far away. As the result of taking on a challenge, the special exhibition is now under way in Seoul featuring the wisdom collected by
humanity and the glory of richly developed art. Even a thousand years ago various different elements converged and led to variations. For anyone who is curious about values that remains unchanged over time or the source of creative thinking and inspiration, this exhibition is never to be missed.
Fig.5 Gilt-silver Gourd-shaped Bottle Goryeo Dynasty, 12th century H. 11.1 cm National Museum of Korea
Portable shrines on display
ESSAY
Yi Gyubo, Espousing the Beauty of Goryeo Celadon By Park Jong-ki, Professor, Department of Korean History, Kookmin University
Detail of Printing Woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana Goryeo Dynasty National Treasure No. 32 Haeinsa Temple, Hapcheon © Jikwon Ha.
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In honor of the 1,100th anniversary of the foundation of the Goryeo Dynasty, exhibitions and symposium highlighting the Goryeo period have been inaugurated across Korea. The exhibition Goryeo: The Glory of Korea showcased the Goryeo civilization and revealed its significance as a major powerhouse in East Asia at the time. Among pre-modern Korean artworks that have attracted admirers in China, Japan, and East Asian world, those that have been widely collected abroad are Goryeo productions. These outstanding Goryeo artworks include celadon wares, paper, lacquerware inlaid with motherof-pearl, Tripitaka Koreana, and metal movable type. Over his long tenure in government, Yi Gyubo 1168–1241 penned numerous records memorializing important historical moments in foreign diplomacy, making him the foremost chronicler of over five hundred years of the Goryeo Dynasty. Unfortunately, however, Yi was in the government when military officials seized power and imposed a military regime. Moreover, when he was in his sixties, he had to flee from the Mongol invaders and spend his final years in Ganghwado Island. The reigns of King Yejong r. 1105–1122 and King Injong r. 1122–1146 in the first half of the twelfth century marked the high point of Goryeo culture and civilization. Yi Gyubo was born in the latter half of the twelfth century and started life as a government official in the capital Gaegyeong in the early thirteenth century. During this period, he was immersed in the sophisticated culture and society that had developed throughout the preceding years of the Goryeo Dynasty. Most importantly, Yi produced insightful records that help us better understand some of the most significant innovations of the Goryeo cultural tradition, such as celadon
wares, Tripitaka Koreana, and metal movable type. The printing technique developed in Goryeo Dynasty was the most advanced in all of East Asia at the time. In 1234, Yi Gyubo documented the production of a printed copy of the Prescribed Ritual Texts of the Past and Present 詳正古今禮文 at the behest of the leader of the Goryeo military regime, Choe I died 1249, leaving a vivid record of the very first application of metal movable type in the world. In addition, Yi wrote prayers for reproducing the Printing Woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana in 1237 after the originals had been destroyed in a fire during the Mongol invasions. This record greatly enhances our understanding of the Tripitaka Koreana. Above all, Yi Gyubo left invaluable records about Goryeo celadon wares. This type of Goryeo pottery represents the quintessence of the culture of five hundred years of the Goryeo Dynasty. Even contemporaneous Chinese people of the Song Dynasty praised the great beauty of Goryeo celadon. Yi himself left three poems extolling the unparalleled quality and beauty of Goryeo ceramics that also provide important records of how such pottery was produced. These contemporary accounts of the production and distribution of Goryeo celadon are particularly intriguing to us. Yi is the only scholar from the Goryeo period to leave such honest and insightful records about the production, distribution, and aesthetic features of Goryeo celadon. The following section outlines some of the key details gleaned from these records. In a poem “Celadon Cup,” Yi Gyubo records that it often took no fewer than ten firings to produce a single perfect cup. In addition, Namsan Mountain was laid bare because many trees were felled to fuel the kilns. He further describes how the smoke
produced by the kilns all but blocked out the sun in the Goryeo capital city of Gaegyeong. The celadon cups produced in such kilns seemed to emit a vivid, azure glow similar to jade and Yi claimed they also shone brightly like crystal. In addition, Yi praised the durability of the ceramics that were as solid as stones. He also compared the delicate engravings of flower designs on the celadon cup to the beauty of an artist’s painting and mused that the exceptional skills required for ceramic production reflected the harmony of the heavens. In another poem, “Celadon Water Dropper,” Yi vividly described the beautiful appearance of a celadon water dropper using the metaphor of a boy dressed in green clothes with an exquisite face and piercing eyes. Likewise, in a poem “Celadon Pillow,” he wrote that the color of the headrest was clearer than water and seemed to be as slick as jade. Yi Gyubo composed all of these poems extolling the beauty of Goryeo celadon ceramics while serving as a government official in Gaegyeong around 1220 before the Mongol invaded Goryeo in 1231. In his “Saga of King Dongmyeong,” a fulllength epic poem on Jumong, the founder of the Goguryeo Kingdom, Yi reveals his admiration for the history of Goguryeo to which the Goryeo royal family traced their own roots. However, his poems about Goryeo celadon show that he was equally fascinated by the beautiful ceramics produced during his own time. Yi’s celebratory verses on celadon wares, metal movable type, and the Tripitaka Koreana, and other cultural artifacts that represent the most advanced skills and techniques in all of East Asia at the time, speak of his tremendous pride in Goryeo culture and civilization and single him out as the most outstanding writer and poet of his time.
Celadon Cup and Saucer with Inlaid Chrysanthemum Design Goryeo Dynasty H. 12.6 cm National Museum of Korea
Celadon Water Dropper in the Shape of a Boy Goryeo Dynasty, 12th century H. 11.0 cm The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
Celadon Pillow with Openwork Lotus Design Goryeo Dynasty H. 11.2 cm W. 26.7 cm National Museum of Korea
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CURRENT
The Enchanting Journey to Korean Civilization By Kwon Hyeeun, Associate Curator of the Exhibition Division, National Museum of Korea
The National Museum in Riyadh December 19, 2018 - March 7, 2019
Fig.1 Gold Crown from Seobongchong Tomb Silla Kingdom, late 5th–early 6th century H. 35.0 cm D. 10.5 cm Treasure No. 339
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In 2017, the National Museum of Korea, in cooperation with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), opened a special exhibition entitled Roads of Arabia, the Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia. Now, the National Museum in Riyadh has reciprocated by holding The Enchanting Journey to Korean Civilization, the first event of its kind in Saudi Arabia. On display are 557 artifacts, comprising 260 exhibits that include numerous archaeological finds as well as other historical relics and various artworks. The National Museum in Riyadh was opened in 1999 and today is led by Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is the President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. This prestigious institution showcases the authority and majesty of Saudi Arabia’s ruling royal family. Roads of Arabia, the Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia has been on international tour, and Prince Al Saud said the exhibition in Seoul was one of the most successful. Members of Design Team at the NMK also traveled to Riyadh to assist with the design and presentation of the special exhibition, The Enchanting Journey to Korean Civilization, adding some important finishing touches. The NMK also began offering a new education program in conjunction with this Korean cultural heritage presentation outside Korea, and visitors to the exhibition showed much interest and a positive response. The special exhibition is divided into five sections, ranging from prehistory to the Joseon Dynasty. The pieces on display were carefully selected to illustrate the history and culture of their respective time periods. Part 1 is entitled “The First Cultures on the
Hand axes on display in Part 1 of the special exhibition
Fig.2 Comb-pattern Pottery Neolithic Period Earthenware H. 36.9 cm D. 36.3 cm (mouth)
Fig.3 Chestlace Silla Kingdom, 5th–6th century Gold and jade L. 43.5 cm D. 4.2 cm
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Fig.4 Gold Waist Belt from Seobongchong Tomb Silla Kingdom, 5th–6th century W. 120.0 cm
Korean Peninsula.” Here a Paleolithic hand axe found during an excavation in Jeongokeup, Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi-do, Neolithic comb-pattern pottery unearthed at a site in Amsa-dong, Gangdong-gu in Seoul, and relics for making such Stone Age tools and utensils are on display, offering a glimpse at how the earliest societies were formed on the Korean Peninsula Fig.2. The theme of Part 2 is “Rising of the First State in Korea,” and this part introduces Gojoseon, the first Korean
Exhibition area where large screens have been installed showing the Korean four seasons and cultural heritage
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state, which took shape during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Korea-style stone daggers, bronze daggers, a bronze mirror with multiple loops and detailed geometrical patterns, and other bronze implements illustrate how production capabilities advanced and spread as society moved closer to the Iron Age. It also shows how various states emerged on the periphery of the Korean Peninsula. Part 3 is titled “The Majestic Kingdoms,” covering the establishment on the Korean Peninsula of Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, Gaya Confederacy, and Unified Silla Kingdoms. Each of these kingdoms formed its own culture while borrowing elements from neighboring regions and contributing to the East Asian cultural landscape Fig.3. Importantly, the Gold Crown from Seobongchong Tomb in Gyeongju, the Silla capital, exemplify the elegant culture of this so-called “golden kingdom” Figs.1 and 4. Part 4 is dedicated to “Goryeo Dynasty: Era of Grace and Dignity.” Here elaborate and refined artworks are on display from the Goryeo Dynasty, which is best known for its celadon ware and metal works. It also introduces visitors to the Buddhist culture that thrived during this era through a variety of reliquaries and other religious objects, Buddhist statues excluded Fig.5. Final Part is “Joseon Dynasty: 500 Years of Splendor,” covering the illustrious
Joseon Dynasty. The exhibit is designed to show the Confucian culture, which permeated the affairs of the Joseon royal family, the government system, and the people’s everyday lives. Of special note is the in-depth display on hangeul, combining actual relics with a digital program. Thus, the public in Saudi Arabia, home to the Arabic language, are provided with an opportunity to experience the indigenous Korean alphabet and Korean language in an engaging manner Fig.6. The opening ceremony was held at the National Museum in Riyadh on December 18, and more than four hundred VIPs were in attendance, including Prince Al Saud, National Museum of Korea Director General Bae Kidong, and Korean Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jo Byungwook. The guests showed special interest in artifacts from Seobongchong Tomb featuring the epitome of the glorious Silla goldwork tradition, Goryeo celadon works with their mysterious hues, and the elegant attire worn by members of the Joseon royal family. The Roads of Arabia, the Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia held in Seoul in 2017 provided an opportunity to learn more about Saudi history and culture. Now the citizens of Saudi Arabia as well as people from neighboring Middle Eastern countries visiting the National Museum in Riyadh have the chance to experience the elegance of Korean culture first-hand. This special exhibition has also brought the two museums closer together and hopefully will serve to spur other forms of high-level exchanges between the two countries.
Fig.5 Buddhist Bell Goryeo Dynasty, 1185 or 1245 Bronze H. 62.2 cm D. 44.0 cm
Fig.6 Movable Type in Hangul Joseon Dynasty, 17th–18th century Metal W. 52.4 cm L. 32.0 cm H. 6.8 cm
2019 WINTER 15
Mother and son walking in front of the Ten-story Stone Pagoda from Gyeongcheonsa Temple Site
INTERVIEW
Like Mother Like Son: A Taste for the Same Things By the Editorial Team / With Hwang Jiyoung and her son Choi Junhyuk
Holiday Homework and the Museum When she was a child, Hwang Jiyoung would wait to visit the museum during the summer and winter holidays. A visit to the National Museum of Korea was necessary to complete her holiday homework, and spending a whole day there with her family was an annual event for her. Hwang remembers these childhood visits to the museum as happy days. In those days, the museum was located in the former Japanese government-general building, so more than 20 years have now passed. Back then, as she looked at the lavish Silla gold crowns and various glass items that had come to Silla over the Silk Road, she had felt a vague yearning for the Silla period. Even in the eyes of a young girl, there was something stirring about the cultural objects of Silla, a kingdom that struck her as exotic.
Glass Ewer Silla Kingdom H. 25.0 cm D. 9.5 cm Excavated from the South Mound of Tomb No. 98, Gyeongju National Treasure No. 193
Things Left Forgotten For the first time in a long time, Hwang visited the museum again. This time she brought along her 17-month-old son, Junhyuk. The girl who used to come to the museum with her family is now a young mother. Having waited for her son to pass his first birthday, she is now busy showing him all the beautiful and wonderful things in the world. By exposing her child to as many experiences as possible, she hopes to raise him to be the intrepid type, a person who is not afraid of new challenges. When she read an Instagram posting about the special exhibition Goryeo: The Glory of Korea, quickly she prepared for an outing. Pram, diapers, coat, snacks, thermos−going anywhere with a baby is a lot of work, but Hwang is used to it now and can get ready in just 15 minutes. At the museum she
quite often ran into other mothers pushing prams, and from a strange sense of bonding she greeted them with her eyes. Junhyuk started to walk not so long ago and his curiosity is insatiable. He is fascinated by bright lights and under the shining lights of the exhibition hall and display cabinets, his eyes grew round with wonder. With Junhyuk toddling along and riding the pram by turns, mother and son leisurely cruised the special exhibition galleries. They stopped for a particularly long time in front of the Lacquered Sutra Case with Inlaid Chrysanthemum Scroll Design, its aura of elegance giving Hwang a sense of peace. The case is a work of exquisite craftsmanship, decorated with a dense, repeated pattern of blossoms no bigger than a centimeter each, expressed in fine detail. Goryeo inlaid lacquer ware is distinguished by the way the whole object is densely covered with tiny flowers made with pieces of mother-of-pearl, which naturally inspires admiration for the skills of the Goryeo artisans. In the regular yet rhythmic chrysanthemum design, each flower is a little different to the next and it is easy to imagine the painstaking efforts of the craftsman who worked days on end to make this object by hand.
Eye-catching Ten-story Stone Pagoda Noticing that the museum had grown so much bigger than it used to be, Hwang aspired to look through the Permanent Exhibition Hall as well. As soon as she entered the hall, a huge stone pagoda appeared before her eyes, the Ten-story Stone Pagoda from Gyeongcheonsa Temple Site. Inspecting it up close she marveled at the elaborate carvings embellishing each story. The body of the pagoda had a unique 2019 WINTER 17
shape, unlike that of any stone pagoda she had seen before at a Buddhist temple. As Gyeongcheonsa Temple was connected with the Goryeo royal court, it can be guessed that the finest artisans of the day were involved in the creation of the pagoda. It seems the skills of the craftsmen were apparent even to two-year-old Junhyuk. Beauty has a fascination for all generations and ages. Seeing Junhuk push his head back as far as it would go to look up at the pagoda over 13 meters high from his height of 80 centimeters, Hwang lifted him up so he could get a better look.
Dazzling Beauty At the sight of a medicine chest with many small drawers for storing herbal medicine ingredients, the thought that “objects from the past remain unchanged over hundreds of years, it’s only people who change” crossed Hwang’s mind. She has changed from an elementary schoolgirl to a young mother, and she wondered what she will be like next time she comes to stand in front of the medicine chest. Junhyuk, having spent his energy walking around the museum, had fallen asleep, so Hwang turned the pram in the direction of the Wooden Crafts Gallery. She stopped at the display of old furniture which reflect the passage of time, when suddenly thoughts of the past came rushing back to her. The pieces of old furniture are simple in structure with a natural beauty that makes use of the grain of the wood. They are objects that we are particularly fond of, as much today as in the past. Sitting in the middle of the gallery, the Lacquered Comb Box Inlaid with Mother-of-pearl is so splendid that she felt like taking it home. The free-standing display case makes it possible to inspect 18 NMK
Hwang Jiyoung taking pleasure in looking at the Lacquered Comb Box Inlaid with Mother-of-pearl
the box slowly from all four sides. The lid features two shining phoenixes, so lively in expression that she can imagine them flying around and twittering together. The front of the box is decorated with a large chrysanthemum and peony design and the largely empty background makes it stand out from the densely decorated Goryeo inlaid lacquer ware. The three remaining sides respectively feature plum trees, bamboo, and two birds; pine trees and two birds; and water plants and two birds.
The way the birds are expressed in pairs is charming. Junhyuk would have liked the box, considering his love for things that glitter. Enjoying some rare leisure on her own in the museum, Hwang started to grow curious about the Children’s Museum and made up her mind to visit the NMK whenever she gets the chance. Like her own mother, Hwang knows that spending time with her child at the museum is a precious memory that can’t be exchanged with anything else.
NEW TREASURE
Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers
Joseon Dynasty, early 16th century Ink on paper 91.0 × 47.7 cm (each) Treasure No. 1864 Jinju National Museum
The eight views of the Xiao and Xiang rivers was a popular painting subject in the early Joseon Dynasty that depicts in eight scenes the exceptional landscape around Dongting lake in China’s Hunan Province where the Xiao and Xiang rivers meet. When arranged in order, the eight scenes formally divide into pairs of complementary compositions that achieve a cohesive balance. The composition in each of these individual scenes is weighted in the opposite direction so that it appears that the pairs of scenes are mirroring each other. The artist expertly depicts the surface of the water and the misty atmosphere between the scenery in the foreground, middle ground, and background, imparting a great sense of spatial depth. This representation of the eight views of the Xiao and Xiang rivers with sophisticated brushwork and a lyrical mood that reflects the An Gyeon painting style that dominated the first half of the sixteenth century is typical of paintings on this theme from the early Joseon period.
ART AND STORIES
The Beauty of Slowness By Rhee Jaeyong, Photographer
Memories of the Gaze_Celadon 4 104.0 × 85.0 cm Seoul
One day I had a special experience that remains starkly in my mind and has left a profound impression. It is still fresh even though old memories are sure to fade, replaced by new ones. Most of what is special will shine and then disappear in an instant. It is like when a camera flashbulb pops, illuminating the subject briefly, exposing the image on the photosensitive surface, and then vanishing. It was in Berlin in November 2014, and rain was pouring down from a dark cloudy sky. As I stepped out of Dahlem-Dorf Station, the rough cobblestone street and a muddy dirt path leading to the museum caught my eye. I paused to stare at the raindrops as they splashed between the cobblestones and melted away. The west door, which connected with the museum collection storage facility, was standing open, showing me the way to the photo studio. My task in coming here was to photograph three celadon pieces in the collection of the Museum of Asian Art in Berlin. There, two ceramic bowls and nicely-formed melon-shaped ewer were waiting for me, which, at Korean museums, I would have seen inside the glass cases in the exhibition halls or in the collection storage building, packed with pieces of all kinds. This was how my direct interaction with Goryeo celadons began. Although my hands were gloved, I was able to pick up the items directly, turn them this way or that, and examine them up close. I was freed from the historical or narrative time periods imposed upon us in a typical museum setting. This experience felt quite different from the one I normally had while looking from a distance at a piece confined in glass.
Memories of the Gaze_Celadon 5 104.0 × 85.0 cm Berlin
I ran my fingers along the curved lip, as a tongue might do while sipping unfiltered rice wine from the small bowl, and I felt the rough, worn base cradled in my palm. A certain spirit emanated from the traces of dripped glaze, evidence of being coarsely thrown on the potter’s wheel, and the tracks that have appeared in the surface over time. Viewing a relic on display in a showroom can be compared to hearing the dull reading of Bach’s Air on the G String, while holding it in one’s own hands is like listening to the haunting sound of the cello. Such a direct tactile experience held great significance for me personally because it was so much more than simply learning the 2019 WINTER 21
story behind the object or the historical context. Information on an object lacks the temporality that the object itself possesses; therefore, descriptions or explanations cannot provide the same level of historical continuity as the object does. As we walk around a museum exhibition hall, we simply glean facts in the present about the objects on display—how they were made and used. Most people never get to hold the objects up close, so someone like me, who has had been given such a rare privilege, has a sense of responsibility to convey that experience.
Memories of the Gaze_Celadon_w#1 130.0 × 154.0 cm Seoul
Memories of the Gaze_Celadon_w#7 130.0 × 154.0 cm Seoul
My approach to this task was to turn the image on a single piece of paper into a masterpiece by recording as much detail as possible in the precious little time available and by maximizing the feel of direct contact. The Memories of the Gaze series is divided into several segments but most deal with objects that are changing with the passage of time. To record those changes, hundreds or even thousands of photographs are taken over four to five years, and the temporal changes become evident by comparing the differences. Usually, these moments in time are intense, with the forces of destruction and the forces of preservation in balance. Sometimes, the subjects of the photographs are fading rapidly over time, while at other times they seem to be immutable. The degree of change varies, but all forms of existence move in their own way and at their own pace. Most of the captured moments show rapid, accelerating change. Celadons are relatively static, moving at a gradual pace. To record celadons in detail is to note their implicative temporality. One must use the time allowed to get shots from every conceivable angle. Then the individual photos are juxtaposed, as the camera lens can reveal very subtle aspects that are imperceptible to the human eye. Delicate color changes, cracks, parts covered by shadows in the exhibition hall, and asymmetrical aspects are thus exposed. With projects that have been underway for nearly ten years, images show recognition issues related to the way memory works and eyesight. The celadon series was created based on my experience in linking past work, and was given the opportunity to be shown and permanently preserved at the Museum of Asian Art in Berlin. For photographers, direct contact and experience with an item are significant. In particular, photographs provide images of concrete
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Memories of the Gaze_Celadon 1 104.0 × 85.0 cm Seoul
Memories of the Gaze_Celadon 3 104.0 × 85.0 cm Seoul
subjects, so the special experience from that subject can be the central criteria for inspiration. Those brief moments in time unknowingly became the central theme of the project, and the series on celadons keeps growing larger on its own. After going through much red tape, I was granted approval to take pictures at the National Museum of Korea, and I wound up photographing ten celadon pieces designated national treasures. Prior to my receiving permission, I spent most of my time when the museum was open inside the Sculpture and Crafts Gallery. I tried using a flash to illuminate shadowed areas but was discovered by a disapproving security guard. But my comings and goings became so frequent that we got to the point of greeting one another. The color of the celadons appeared to be different every time, and the form, too, seemed to vary according to the viewing angle and the viewer. These phenomena even prompted me to wonder whether the pieces were alive. The wait for permission to photograph was filled with anxiety and uncertainty, and I tried several approaches to understand and experience the subject matter, because of the slowness that the celadons embody. Celadons, as conspicuous artworks historically, have had the spontaneous and intrinsic power to grow on their own with the passage of time. Moreover, their excellence is clear: they absorb the spirit of the present time, function as part of the aesthetic value judgment, and are used as subjects of rich expression by artists such as me. As they transfer from being something to look at to something that inspires awe, I ponder the way to create a photographic work of art and suffer misgivings as to the possibility of such an artwork. It concerns whether an original creation is possible by using a photographic subject that has originality. My work inevitably must continue because this is the only way to dispel such doubts. However, the celadon photography project has dragged on for four years now, and I can no longer tell whether I am gazing at the celadons as I do my work or am doing my work just to examine the celadons.
Memories of the Gaze_Celadon 20 104.0 × 85.0 cm Seoul
The scene that I witnessed while coming out of a metro station in Berlin suddenly comes to mind. The raindrops cascading over and around the paving stones. Appreciating the celadons is like the relaxed feeling you get when unexpectedly encountering a gentle curve amid the straight march of time. This is the beauty of slowness.
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SEASONS HERITAGE
A Humble Hat and Clogs: Why Memorial Rites for Su Shi are Held in the Middle of Winter By Kim Woollim, Curator, Chuncheon National Museum
Su Shi 1037–1101, also widely known as Su Dongpo 蘇東坡, is a rather special figure who, despite being neither a saint nor an emperor, has been widely revered for more than a thousand years to this day as the subject of varied images and stories. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries a sort of rites were held to mark Su Shi’s birthday on the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month and this practice spread throughout East Asia. As his birthday falls around the time of the winter solstice (around December 22), considered to be the end of the year, sometimes it was celebrated instead on the day marking the onset of spring (around February 4), considered to be the start of the year. In East Asian
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literati society of the nineteenth century, Su Shi’s birthday was a special occasion when the old year was sent out and the new year welcomed. “A hundred years is a moment, a thousand years goes like a dream; The hours of a summer day are so very long; Take life at a leisurely pace for there’s no reason to rush.” As Lee Eun-sang 1903–1982 said in his poem “Travel to the Red Cliffs 赤壁遊,” published in 1934, Su Shi, through his eternal masterpiece “Ode on the Red Cliffs 赤壁赋,” has captivated the hearts
of intellectuals in China, Korea, and Japan for about a thousand years Fig.2. The classical image of Su Shi is that of a genius poet traveling by the Red Cliffs on the Yangtze River under the moonlight. This trip took place on the sixteenth day of the seventh lunar month and on this day members of the literati would hold a “red cliff meeting” in memory of Su Shi as a magnanimous man who loved people and poetry and song, an image embellished with literary imagination Fig.1. In the same way the artistic elegance of the so-called “Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden 西園雅集” hosted by the son-in-law of the emperor, which Su Shi is said to have attended, is summoned in association with the poet to create yet another image of him Fig.4.
Fig.1 Detail of Fig.2 Fig.2 Red Cliff Joseon Dynasty, 15th century Attributed to An Gyeon Hanging scroll; ink and light color on silk 161.3 × 102.3 cm
In the eighteenth century, production and distribution of images of Su Shi took a new turn. This is related to the rites held in memory of Su Shi on his birthday, that is, his memorial day rites, which were first held in 1699 by Song Luo 1634–1714 and carried on and developed further by Weng Fanggang 1733–1818. In contrast to previous gatherings related to Su Shi focused on drinking and the enjoyment of poetry, calligraphy, and painting, the gathering for such memorial day rites involving the burning of incense and bowing was by nature formal and reverent in mood. Moreover, as the season of Su Shi’s birth is the middle of winter, it is very different to the season for the outing to the Red Cliffs in summer. Paintings in the birthday rites are set against a solemn, cold, and snowy background and hence of an entirely different character to paintings of a summer gathering in a lush, wide open landscape. The image of Su Shi reflected in paintings of his memorial day rites is therefore different to previous images freely created with literary imagination. It stresses accuracy based on historical evidence rather than creative inspiration, in the endeavor to find the true image of Su Shi as a person. A popular painting from this time is Dongpo in a Humble Hat and Clogs 東坡笠屐圖, depicting him during his time in exile on Hainan Island. One day at his place of exile Su Shi was caught outdoors in the rain, so he borrowed a bamboo hat and clogs at a nearby farmhouse and hurriedly made his way home. The village women and children laughed at the sight and ridiculed him, and even the neighborhood dogs came to bark at his door. Though he had degenerated into a figure of fun for the village women and children and even the dogs, Su Shi, far from laying blame on anyone or growing angry, seems to have been rather aloof and said he did not know why people were 2019 WINTER 27
laughing at him. This story about the most difficult and wretched point in his life was reborn as a legend that vividly portrays his great spirit and noble character, shining brilliantly in the midst of despair. Paintings of Su Shi’s memorial day rites were introduced to Joseon in the early nineteenth century through tribute missions. Later, notable figures such as Shin Wi 1769–1847, Kim Jeonghui 1786–1856, and Jo Huiryong 1789–1866 held memorial rites while in exile themselves, identifying their own unhappy fates with that of Su Shi and internalizing their yearning for the noted poet, writer, and statesman. For them, the story of a man in a humble hat and clogs was not simply the story of one intellectual from faraway China that took place 800 years ago but an event closely identified with their own situation in exile. Fig.3 Portrait of Kim Jeonghui in a Humble Hat Joseon Dynasty, 19th century Carved and printed by Heo Ryeon Album leaf; woodblock print on paper 25.7 × 31.2 cm Heo Ryeon pursued a Koreanized transformation of Su Shi images by replacing the face of Su Shi with that of Kim Jeonghui, who was believed to be the incarnation of Su Shi, and these images were considered the illustrations of so-called “later Dongpo.”
Fig.4 Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden (detail) Joseon Dynasty, 1778 By Kim Hongdo Six folding screens; ink and light color on silk 122.7 × 47.9 cm (each)
Fig.5 Su Dongpo in a Humble Hat and Clogs Joseon Dynasty, 19th century Copied by Monk Hyeho Hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper 106.5 × 31.4 cm
The National Museum of Korea’s Su Dongpo in a Humble Hat and Clogs 蘇文忠公笠屐像 is typical of the paintings of Su Shi that were hung up for his memorial day rites Fig.5. With the right hand holding onto the hem of his coat and the posture of his feet indicating forward movement, the painting encapsulates the scene of Su Shi making his way through the rain and mud in borrowed hat and shoes. Unlike Chinese paintings of the same scene, however, in this Korean painting there is little realistic depiction of the despairing mood and shabby appearance of a man caught in such a situation. Rather, the easy manner with which he runs his hand over his beard and the deep look in his eyes as he turns his head to the left and looks over his shoulder at the distant sea as the rain rushes in convey the skill and experience as well as the spirit of a great old man who lived a turbulent life. This rather artificial modeling and unrealistic, immortal-like appearance aroused empathy among reclusive scholars who knew all about exile and political ruin and the fleeting nature of power. Indeed, this was the special quality of Joseon-style paintings of Su Shi in a humble hat and clogs, which consoled government officials who were constantly exposed to political tension and had to accept the fact that they too could be exiled at any time with changes in the court. It is said that the true value of the greenness of the pine tree is only recognized in the depths of winter, and in the same context the “humble hat and clogs” painting represented the spirit of a great man who remained unbeaten under hardship, like the spirit of a tree in the harsh cold of winter that does not lose faith in the coming of spring. Hence it is not in the midst of summer but the cold of winter that incense is burned and rites held in honor of Su Shi. By memorializing political ruin and the misery of exile, the “humble hat and clogs” painting rather reveals Su Shi’s superhuman character, and in this respect was a work with layered contexts like Christian art in which the cross is an icon for resurrection Fig.3. The paintings of Su Shi in a humble hat and clogs that would have been hung in every home on the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the middle of winter, reflected the yearnings and resolutions of the literati to nurture a great spirit that does not bend under suffering. 2019 WINTER 29
CURRENT
Jeolla-do and Its People over the Past 1000 Years By Ryu Seungjin, Associate Curator, Gwangju National Museum
Gwangju National Museum October 23, 2018 - February 10, 2019
A display of the Epitaph for Jeong Cheol and various records
The Gwangju National Museum brings together the stories of the people who shaped the history of Jeolla-do over the past millennium in order to better understand the province and its people.
According to a record in the History of Goryeo, “Jeolla-do” was the name assigned to the territory created by combining the two provinces Gangnam-do 江南道 and Haeyang-do 海陽道 from the earlier Baekje Kingdom in the ninth year 1018 of the reign of King Hyeonjong. The name “Jeolla30 NMK
do” was derived from the major cities Jeonju and Naju that were established as the administrative districts among the various counties and townships within the territory. However, the region had been referred to as “Jeolla-do,” or land of integrity and tenderness, long before this official designation, due to the abundance of local products and beautiful natural scenery. On the other hand, this beautiful and fertile province has a long coastline that holds strategic value in marine trade, making it an easy target for attack during any foreign invasion. This gave rise to the commonly used phrase: “When Honam
(Jeolla-do) falls, the country falls.” The exhibition begins with the origins of the thousand-year history of Jeolla-do as recorded in the History of Goryeo. Old maps, such as the Map of Honam Area (Treasure No. 1588) in the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies and the collection of fifty-three local maps known as the Map of South and North Jeolla-do in the Yeungnam University Museum, reveal how the borders of Jeolla-do changed little throughout the Joseon period. Part 1 showcases the stories of the people who lived in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula even before the region
was referred to as Jeolla-do. The human bones excavated from Sinchang-dong in Gwangju help us imagine what it would be like to meet “the oldest person from Jeollado,” providing a gateway to Mahan culture under King Jinwang and Gojoseon culture under King Junwang as well as the highly sophisticated civilization ushered in by the Baekje ruler King Mu. With the formation of Later Baekje period in the early tenth century, this cultural community momentarily dreamed of establishing a lasting dynasty. However, such aspirations were rapidly quashed. The assimilation into the Goryeo Dynasty marked the beginning of one thousand years of Jeolla-do history during which time the royal capital was never again situated within the territory. Instead, the region attracted reform-minded, progressive people who envisioned a new kind of society. Monk Jinul 1158–1210 and Yose 1163–1245 were outspoken critics of the Buddhist establishment that helped to bolster the corrupt political system in the towns of Suncheon and Gangjin. In Jeonju, young Confucian scholars attempted to establish a new rank-system based on the ideal society described under the term “great unity” in the Book of Rites. Later, at the end of the nineteenth century, the socalled “Mung Bean General” from Jeongeup led a group of like-minded followers in rebellion under the slogan: “A world in which the people are again elevated to the heavens.” In Part 2 of the exhibition titled “People Who Dreamed of a New World in Jeolla-do,” visitors can discover the stories revealed by such artifacts as the Documents of the Goryeo Dynasty in Songgwangsa Temple (Treasure No. 572) featuring the story of the repair of the temple, as well as the Epitaph for Jeong Cheol and various records (e.g., letters of appointment and lists of members of the peasant army) relating to the members of the Donghak Peasant Movement. Part 3 titled “People Who Protected Jeolla-do” introduces the stories of the people who chose to go to battle to protect
Portrait of Yi Sunshin Joseon Dynasty Color on silk 28.0 × 22.0 cm Dong-a University Museum
A display of the Illustration of Naval Maneuvers
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A visitor looking at the Portrait of Buddhist Seosandaesa
the region at times of national crisis, motivated by the Buddha’s teachings or by ideals of justice. At the time of the Japanese Invasion of Joseon, also known as the Imjin War 1592–1598, certain Buddhist monks disregarded the religious prohibition against killing to enter the battlefield and many young Confucian scholars volunteered as fighters to uphold their vows of loyalty to the King. In addition, at the end of the Korean Empire period 1897–1910, numerous unnamed people put their lives on the line to protect their way of life. Of course it would be impossible to omit the story of the young scholars Ahn Ui 1529–1596 and Sohn Hongnok 1537–1600 who watched over the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the most important records of the Joseon royal court, and the portraits of Joseon kings, day and night at a storage in Jeolla-do. The exhibition ends with two contrasting perspectives of Jeolla-do 32 NMK
through the eyes of travellers who wrote about their time passing through the province and those of modern and contemporary artists from the area who painted local landscape. Despite its reputation as a hotbed of rebellion, Jeollado has developed a strong identity as a place of reform and integrity over the past millennium and whenever the country
faced difficult times, the people of Jeollado stood up to be counted. It was this kind of righteous character that carried through into the pro-democracy demonstrations in Jeolla-do in the 1980s. This exhibition shares the stories of people from Jeolla-do over the past millennium in an effort to inspire the future stories of Jeolla-do yet to created.
Hyeonjachongtong Gun Joseon Dynasty, 1555 74.0 × 7.0 cm Treasure No. 1233 Gwangju National Museum
MUSEUM SCENE
The six-shelf showcase is filled with Silla earthenware vessels. Bottles, jars, bowls, stands, and lids−they are diverse in size and kind also color. In the recently renewed Silla Gallery, a collection of earthenware that helps us to better understand the everyday lives of the Silla people lines one whole wall, creating a fantastic spectacle. Visitors happily look at the vessels that seem to have so many stories to tell about life in the past.
FOCUS
The Five Hundred Arhats from Changnyeongsa Temple Site, Icons of Respite and Healing By Kang Samhye, Associate Curator, Chuncheon National Museum
In 2002 an excavation project at Changnyeongsa Temple site unearthed 328 statues of the original set of five hundred arhat statues. Tile fragments bearing the words Changnyeong 蒼嶺 were also found during the excavation, confirming the identity of the temple site. Three years later, these statues became part of the collection of the Chuncheon National Museum.
the locations of the main hall, called Daeungjeon 大雄殿, and Arhat Hall are known. The Arhat Hall is believed to have had a saddle roof and to have measured three kan wide by two kan deep. Besides, archaeologists have identified where a pagoda stood on the temple site in the twelfth century during the Goryeo Dynasty along with a terrace from that period.
The Augmented Survey of the Geography of Korea 東國輿地勝覽, a cultural geography of Korea completed in 1481, the twelfth year of the reign of King Seongjong, states that Changnyeongsa Temple was an active Buddhist monastery in early Joseon. Records show that the temple remained open until the eighteenth century, and
The Chuncheon National Museum has been conducting research on the arhat statues for the past twelve years. August 2018, the research findings were made public with publication of a research report as well as a special exhibition titled, Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site: Reflection of Our Hearts.
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Gallery for the special exhibition Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site: Reflection of Our Hearts
The research report, which also serves as the exhibition catalog, was compiled by a team of eleven specialists in the fields of Buddhist philosophy, Buddhist art, historical clothing, geology, aesthetics, and conservation science. They produced a fascinating and richly informative content on the arthat figures from Changnyeongsa Temple site. This amalgamation of diverse academic perspectives allows museum visitors to gain a closer understanding of the statuary. Part 1 of the report is entitled “Arhat Worship and Art.” Jung Byungsam (Sookmyung Women’s University) introduces the practice of worshipping arhats in Buddhist history. Based
on Choi Seonju’s (National Museum of Korea) study of the Written Supplication to the Sacred Host of Five Hundred Arhats 五百聖衆請文 transcribed in 1805 which lists the names of the five hundred arhats enshrined as statues at Geojoam 居祖庵, a hermitage attached to Eunhaesa Temple, he examines the formal features of arhat statues in light of Buddhist art history. The story of the five hundred arhats began from the descriptions in the Ekottara Āgama 增一阿含經, “Prophecy of Enlightenment for Five Hundred Disciples Chapter” of the Lotus Sutra 法華經, and other Buddhist texts of the top five hundred disciples of Buddha, who were predicted to ascend to the ultimate realm after completing their superior religious practice. They evolved into one of the universal 2019 WINTER 35
objects of Buddhist worship, along with sect founders. The first chapter of the report discusses the historical process through which the five hundred arhats came to be recognized as beings with supernatural powers and presents various examples of Buddhist art that depict the arhats in this way during the Goryeo and Joseon periods. Part 2, “Observation and Inquiry,” presents the Museum’s survey results. More than forty statues of arhats from Changnyeongsa Temple depict the monks wearing robes, known as gasa 袈裟, from the head down. In her study of the attire of the arhat statues, Kang Sunjung (Hwaeomsa Temple Museum) explains in easyto-understand language the methods of wearing monk’s robes and their meaning as well as the origins of diverse Buddhist garments. Kim Sangtae (Chuncheon National Museum) and Choi Giju (Cheongam Institute of Cultural Properties) searched
for the provenance of the stone used for the statues and identified the traces of intentional damage in the extant statues. They revealed that the figures were produced from granite quarried on Songhaksan Mountain in Jecheon, some ten kilometers away from Changnyeongsa Temple and that Confucian students had willfully destroyed Buddhist statuary as the Joseon government cracked down on the religion. Kang Samhye and Kwon Yoonmi (Chuncheon National Museum), and Huh Ilkwon (Jinju National Museum) detail their work for restoring and preserving thirteen of the arhat statues which had have their heads separated from their bodies and examined a wide range of iconography in the process. The final part of the report provides a “Modern Interpretation” of the message conveyed by the five hundred arhats. The appearance of these figures is far from precise and awe-inspiring. Their curves
Part 2 of the exhibition themed “Diverse Perspectives on the Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site”
A contemporary artwork titled “Are You Free from Yourself?” by the installation artist Kim Seungyoung
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are blurred, and their forms are simple; specific body parts are indistinct. The figures’ shapes seem to melt away into the stone. Yi Jinkyung (Seoul National University of Science and Technology) explains in detail the Buddhist philosophical message that the five hundred arhats represent. Cho Eunjung (Graduate School of Hannam University) examines the sculptural aesthetic value of arhats and traces back to its origins. Chou Yongjin (Korea Trait Culture Institute) was tasked with identifying and classifying the facial characteristics of the statues, which reflect the sensibilities of ancient Koreans. The physiognomic survey was a new approach that put the arhats into one of three different facial classifications and identified the qualities of the sculptors from that historical period. The arhat statues are arrayed in a single hall, allowing visitors to view them all at once. The unpretentious and friendly expressions
remind viewers of the faces familiar to them. The special exhibition, Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site: Reflection of Our Hearts, starts from the faces of the statues, and stimulates the visitors’ interest by a contemporary artwork titled “Are You Free from Yourself?” by the installation artist Kim Seungyoung and sound designer Oh Yoonseok. Visitors can witness first-hand the results of a decade’s research published in the report. A relaxing grass-covered area has been placed in the center of the exhibition space for visitors to watch video footage of the writers and researchers involved with this project. Meditation and yoga programs are also provided to heighten the museum experience. This special exhibition was originally scheduled to close on November 25, but to meet visitor requests the running time has been extended to March 31, 2019. Part of the exhibit will then be moved to the permanent exhibition hall.
Different faces of the arhats like ordinary human beings
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NEWS
Golden accessories and Silla potteries
Silla Kingdom Gallery Reopened after Renewal
Gold Earrings Silla Kingdom, 6th century Excavated from Hwango-dong, Gyeongju Treasure No. 2001
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Silla Kingdom Gallery in the Prehistory and Ancient History section of the Permanent Exhibition Hall reopened after renewal, which was designed to reflect the latest research findings, apply new exhibition techniques, and refine design details. A total of 654 artifacts comprising 459 exhibits are made public, including a pair of earrings from Noseo-dong, Gyeongju (Treasure No. 455) and a pair of earrings from Hwango-dong, Gyeongju (Treasure No. 2001) as well as thirteen other items of state-designated cultural heritage works. The exhibition introducing the flow of culture and history of Silla chronologically divides into three sections, each focusing on the period of growth and development of Silla (fourth century), period ruled by gold-decorated great chieftain known as Maripgan (fifth century), and middle ancient period ruled based on the law and Buddhism (sixth and seventh centuries), respectively. The exhibition dedicated a section to the beginning period of Silla, which had rarely been
addressed in previous exhibitions on Silla, to help visitors better understand the flow of history from the birth and development of Silla to its unification of the Three Kingdoms. The second section on fifth-century Silla ruled by Maripgan displays about 70 artifacts of golden accessories to offer a glimpse into the golden kingdom of Silla. Earthenware pottery densely arranged within large showcases illuminates the unique features of Silla pottery in the history of East Asian ceramics. Epigraphs and ancient documents on display shed light to how Silla society established the foundation for unification of the Three Kingdoms. An interactive media work on Silla’s golden accessories placed on a corner of the gallery allows visitors to actively enjoy the exhibition and take a rest.
The room for the exhibition series “Treasure from the SOHN Collection of Calligraphy and Painting”
Donation of the Sohn Seki and Sohn Changkun Collection
Orchid Joseon Dynasty By Kim Jeonghui L. 54.9 cm W. 30.6 cm
The National Museum of Korea received a donation of 304 artifacts comprising 202 exhibits of the SOHN Collection. This collection consists of cultural heritages collected by entrepreneur Sohn Seki born in Kaesong 1903–1983 and his eldest son Sohn Changkun and includes invaluable masterpieces equaling in quality statedesignated cultural heritage works. Among the well-known works from the collection is Album of Painting of Gathering for Prayer for Longevity in a Northern Garden 北園壽會帖. Produced by Jeong Seon 1676–1759, no earlier than 1716, this album includes a painting depicting village elders and their descendants having a party in a northern garden of a house in Jangui-dong, Seoul to pray for the longevity of the elders. The collection also includes masterpieces of Kim Jeonghui 1786–1856. Rhyme Couplets in Semi-Cursive Script for Hamchugak Pavilion 涵秋閣行書對聯 was produced no later than 1831
Donor Sohn Changkun
when Kim Jeonghui was in his forties. This calligraphic work shows how Kim’s calligraphic style, known as chusache 秋史體, was being developed at the time and reflects his friendship with a Qing scholar painter. Orchid 不二禪蘭圖 and Pavilion with Inscribed Broken Steles 殘書頑石樓 are considered among the most excellent works by Kim Jeonghui. The NMK plans to establish Sohn Seki and Sohn Changkun Gallery to commemorate their donation and present exhibitions featuring the quintessence of Korean traditional painting and calligraphy. The first installment in the exhibition series, “Treasure from the SOHN Collection of Calligraphy and Painting,” opened on November 22 with a focus on works of Kim Jeonghui. The second exhibition is scheduled to open in March 2019. The donation of the SOHN Collection is a history-making event for the NMK. To commemorate and widely promote the beautiful will of the donors, the NMK will continue to organize exhibitions of donated works and conduct in-depth research. 2019 WINTER 39
EDUCATION
Inside the Joseon Dynasty Gallery, a curator stands in front of the camera to deliver the remote digital lesson.
The production team watches over the pilot remote digital lesson.
“Space On,” where the remote digital lessons are carried out.
40 NMK
The Museum On Air By the Editorial team / With Park Yunhee, Museum Educator, National Museum of Korea
The National Museum of Korea has carried out a trial broadcast of its digital remote classes titled, “The Museum On Air.” The classes are run in the form of a live broadcast from “Space On,” a large room located on the second floor of the Permanent Exhibition Hall, where a giant screen has been installed. Students who find it hard to come to the museum can watch the program and feel as if they were in the gallery, examining the cultural objects in the museum while interacting with the curator. This program can be seen as an extension of the Mobile Museum, a bus with its interior set as a small exhibition space that has over the past 30 years taken the museum to people all over the country. This offline museum reaching out to visitors has evolved into a new dimension by using digital media to operate remote classes that transcend barriers of time, space, and education targets. Under a Memorandum of Understanding, the NMK and the Korea Arts and Culture Education Service spent the past five months developing cultural heritage-related contents and as a result have come up with a series of pilot lessons on different subjects. Based on the opinions of 500 elementary school teachers across the country, three subjects were selected− metal movable type, Pensive Bodhisattva, and Territorial Map of the Great East (Daedongnyeojido)−and a practical artistic experience has been incorporated into each lesson. In the first remote digital lesson the students of Sewol Elementary School in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do learned about metal movable type. Prior to the remote class, the students carved letters into erasers and then stamped them on paper, in imitation of metal movable type. In the actual lesson, they examined an old metal movable type block, and listened to the
The video screen that connects the museum teacher in the Space On with the students at school.
curator explain why metal movable type was made and what influence it had on the people’s lives. In this totally new type of lesson, which lasted 40 minutes, the students enthusiastically participated. The lesson on the Pensive Bodhisattva was held for the students of Kyungdong Elementary School in Seoul. In preparation, the students first had a dance lesson and learned how to express their thoughts with their bodies. In the following remote lesson, they looked at the statue of bodhisattva with one leg crossed on the other and one leg pendant, and tried to make the same posture. When anything roused their curiosity, they asked the curator about it. The students then thought about the posture they would take if they were the Pensive Bodhisattva and tried it out on the spot. The subject of the last pilot lesson was Territorial Map of the Great East featuring an animated character of Kim Jeongho, the cartographer who made the map. The students of Seosang Elementary School in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do had a preliminary lesson in which they tried their hand at sand art, drawing the map as they imagined it on the sand, and then examined the real map with the help of augmented
reality. In the actual remote lesson, all the students’ questions were answered and their curiosity fulfilled as they took part in a quiz with the questions given by the animated Kim Jeongho character, followed by a question and answer session with the curator. All three pilot lessons ran smoothly as the museum teacher in the “Space On” at the museum connected the curator with the students sitting in the computer room at school. Through real time broadcast of the museum’s galleries, the students were able to see the exhibits as if in real life while freely speaking with the curator and experiencing real digital education. The NMK plans to run around twenty such remote lessons per year for those with little access to the museum, such as people in nursing homes, children’s hospitals, island schools, and mountainous areas. The target audience will be expanded to include Koreans living overseas and Korean pop culture fans seeking to learn more about Korean culture. Through these remote lessons, the museum hopes to provide opportunities for a wider range of people to come into contact with Korea’s history and cultural heritage. 2019 WINTER 41
SPECIAL EXHIBITION
December 4, 2018 — March 3, 2019
Special Exhibition Gallery National Museum of Korea
