5 minute read

The New National Treasures of Korea 2017 – 2019

from National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.52

by National Museum of Korea

from National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.52, page 10

Article from: National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.52

India and Southeast Asia Galle...

CURRENT

By Kang Kyungnam Associate Curator of the Fine Arts Division, National Museum of Korea

The National Museum of Korea and the Cultural Heritage Administration host the special exhibition The New National Treasures of Korea 2017–2019. A total of 157 items were newly designated as a treasure or a national treasure after review by the Cultural Heritage Committee (Movable Cultural Properties Division) of the Cultural Heritage Administration, and 83 items among them are presented this time. Bringing together a diverse selection of calligraphy and paintings, seals, ceramics, and metalcraft works from 34 institutions including the NMK and other public institutions, private museums, universities, and temples, the exhibition gives visitors an opportunity to appreciate the value of these works all in the same place. Focusing on the fact that these cultural objects have been preserved over the ages to remain with us today, it seeks to tell us the countless stories that the treasures and national treasures hold within.

**Endless Mountains and Rivers by Yi Inmun and The Rough Roads to Shu by Sim Sajeong on display**

The exhibition is arranged on three themes: history, art, and religious faith. Part 1, “Documenting History,” focuses on writing and painting as important means used by our ancestors in leaving records behind. It is thanks to such books as the History of the Three Kingdoms (Samguk sagi; National Treasure No. 322- 1) from the Oksan Seowon collection and the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms (Samguk yusa Volumes 1–2; National Treasure No. 306-3) preserved by Yonsei University that we know the history of the Three Kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla). The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (National Treasure No. 151-1–6) could be called the official history book of Joseon for its detailed record of facts in wide-ranging areas from politics, diplomacy, economics, and military affairs to law, ideology, and everyday life, centered on events related to the royal court. This vast set of records was inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 1997. Aside from written records, artworks such as the Album of Paintings of the Gathering of Elders (National Treasure No. 325), a court documentary painting in the NMK collection that commemorates the entry of King Sukjong r. 1674–1720 into Giroso, a government organization of senior statesmen at the age of 70 or more, give insight into not only the record-keeping practices and thoughts of our ancestors but also the sundry stories that historical records have held for hundreds of years.

**Album of Paintings of the Gathering of Elders**

**Celadon Three-legged Cauldron-shaped Incense Burner with Embossed Goblin Design**

Part 2, “Flourishing Art,” introduces all sorts of ornaments and accessories yielded by earth, Goryeo celadon made with earth, and Joseon paintings and calligraphy. Celadon Jar with Inscription: “Fourth Sunhwa Year” (National Treasure No. 326) from the collection of Ewha Womans University Museum gives information on when celadon production begun in the Goryeo Dynasty and also gives a glimpse at the tastes of the aristocracy of the time and the great level of skill that Goryeo craftsmen achieved. The exhibition also features a diverse collection of calligraphy and paintings. They include Album of Scenic Sites on the Outskirts of the Capital City by Jeong Seon (Treasure No. 1950) and Album of Genre Paintings by Kim Deuksin (Treasure No. 1987), both owned by the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation. Projected in these paintings from the Joseon period are the landscapes of Korea as well as the people of the past and their ideals of beauty. Miindo (Portrait of a Beauty) by Shin Yunbok (Treasure No. 1973) from the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation, showing the eighteenth-century Joseon artist’s exquisite artistry, has also been brought out for this exhibition.

**Miindo (Portrait of a Beauty) by Shin Yunbok**

Part 3, “Embodying Wishes,” features cultural artifacts that were objects of worship for our ancestors, revealing their prayers and aspires for personal happiness as well as the welfare of society and the state. The religious faith and wishes of the people of yore are reflected in diverse items such as Reliquaries from Wangheungsa Temple Site, Buyeo (National Treasure No. 327), preserved by the Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, which embody wishes for the welfare of a deceased prince in the afterworld; Illustrated Buddhist Manuscript of Brahmajala Sutra (Treasure No. 1988) from the private collection; and various other sutras and woodblocks for the publication of sutras as well as Buddhist paintings.

**Reliquaries from Wangheungsa Temple Site, Buyeo**

Aside from the historical and artistic value of the exhibits themselves, this special exhibition highlights the stories of the people who preserved these cultural works through the ups and downs of history and thereby safeguarded history. These stories will naturally inspire greater love for and interest in Korea’s cultural heritage. There is also a corner where visitors can learn about the process of designating treasures and national treasures and find answers to any other questions they may have. A video is presented here to introduce large paintings of Buddhist hanging scroll, called gwaebul, or architectural works that for physical reasons could not be presented in the exhibition.

This year’s special exhibition of treasures and national treasures, jointly presented by the National Museum of Korea and the Cultural Heritage Administration, comes three years after The New National Treasures 2014–2016, held in 2017. It is an important opportunity to widely promote the latest results of the state designation of national treasures in an effort to preserve the nation’s cultural heritage, and to think once again about their inherent value.

The exhibition dates may change depending on the COVID-19 situation and visitors are advised to check the NMK website (www.museum.go.kr) before visiting. A video presented the large paintings of Buddhist hanging scroll in Part 3

**A display showing the artifacts excavated from the Three-story Stone Pagoda of Pyochungsa Temple, Miryang**

**A video presented the large paintings of Buddhist hanging scroll in Part 3**

This article is from:

National Museum of Korea: Quarterly Magazine, vol.52

by National Museum of Korea