Medieval and Early Modern History Section: Communication with People of the Past for Inspiration Tod

VISUAL GUIDE

by THE EDITORIAL TEAM, with KIM JINSIL Curator of the Archaeology and History Division, National Museum of Korea

Overview

Location: Most of the left side of the Path to History after entering the first floor of the museum / Contents: Exhibition tracing the history and culture of Korea from the Goryeo Dynasty to the Korean Empire in chronological order under various themes / Composition: Six galleries

The medieval and early modern history section on the first floor

Course tips : If you download the National Museum of Korea app from the App Store or Google Play Store to your phone, it will recognize your location and serve as a useful guide to the exhibitions. Using the app, make sure you don’t miss the AR presentation for the Buddhist Bell with Inscription of “Fourth Year of Cheongnyeong” in the Goryeo Gallery II.

Photo Spot : The Ten-story Stone Pagoda from Gyeongcheonsa Temple, highly visible from anywhere in the Permanent Exhibition Hall, is one of the top 30 exhibits of the National Museum of Korea that must not be missed. An expression of the Goryeo people’s image of the Buddhist Pure Land, this stone pagoda is a very popular photo spot. If you wait for the right time and take a picture there, you will take away a memorable souvenir.

The Medieval and Early Modern History section consists of three major exhibition parts: the Goryeo Dynasty Gallery, which introduces Goryeo as a medieval nation; the Joseon Dynasty Gallery, which shows the history and culture of a dynasty that lasted over five hundred years; and the Korean Empire Gallery, which sheds light on the hopes and despairs of an empire tasked with modernization of the country. Gathered in these galleries are major cultural heritage items that make it easy to follow the flow of history in Korea at the same time when major events were taking place around the world, such as the Crusades, the discovery of America, and the French Revolution.

The Goryeo Gallery consists of two galleries. Gallery I traces the founding of the Goryeo Dynasty 918–1392 and compares the brilliant culture of the aristocratic class with the indigenous culture of the provinces. Gallery II is devoted to the display of varied materials that promote understanding of the social atmosphere of Goryeo after the Musin Rebellion, a military revolt that occurred in 1170, and also introduces the Buddhist culture and printing technology of Goryeo.

The exhibition in the Joseon Gallery is spread over three galleries. Gallery I follows Joseon Dynasty 1392–1897 from the time of its foundation through the sixteenth centuries as it went through the process of reorganizing government systems and establishing the Confucian ruling ideology. Gallery II shows the growing power of the Sarim, the Confucian scholars in the provinces, and Gallery III focuses on the trends of the era, when the commodity economy developed and people took interest in new civilizations.

The Korean Empire Gallery has a short history of 13 years, from its proclamation as independent state to its annexation by Japan. The Medieval and Early Modern History section makes it possible for visitors to easily understand the Middle Ages and modern period of Korean history.

Celadon Ewer in the Shape of a Human Figure: The Goryeo People Who Sought to Be Immortals Room No. 113, Goryeo Dynasty I

This ewer was made in the image of an immortal. The figure is sitting on clouds wearing a crown with a flower ornament and decorative robes and is holding a tray with a large peach sitting on it. At the tip of the peach is a spout and at the top of the head is a hole where the ewer was filled. The ewer reflects Taoist influence as both the immortal and peach are Taoist symbols. Taoism is an ideology advocating a life that does not go against nature, and the immortals are beings who have achieved that state. The ewer embodies the wishes of the Goryeo people who sought the Taoist ideal land in their everyday lives.

A display at the Goryeo Dynasty I Gallery

Epitaph Tablet of Princess Boknyeong: The King’s Daughter Sleeps Here Room No. 113, Goryeo Dynasty I

This is the epitaph of Princess Boknyeong,fourth daughter of King Sukjong, 15th monarch of the Goryeo Dynasty. As a record of the person who lies in the grave, an epitaph is a tablet made of stone or ceramics inscribed with details such as date of birth, family relations, and the deeds of the deceased, which was buried inside the grave. Princess Boknyeong, the wife of Wang Yeon and sister of King Yejong, died young at the age of 38. While the epitaph bears the era name of China’s Song Dynasty, it states that the princess was the “daughter of the emperor,” which shows that Goryeo prided itself as an imperial nation, despite its tribute-investiture relationship with China.

Epitaph Tablet of Princess Boknyeong

Goryeo Dynasty, 1133 / Stone / 77.5 × 44.0 × 3.0 cm

Incense Burner with Inlay Silver Decoration: The Heart of Buddha Blooming with the Incense Room No. 116, Goryeo Dynasty II

This censer is a vessel for burning incense and was placed on the altar in Buddhist ceremonies. It has a bowl-shaped body and a high tapering base. Buddhism was the state religion of Goryeo, and as such Buddhist related metal crafts achieved outstanding development. The censer is decorated with an inlaid silver design of Sanskrit characters, dragons, anuruddha heads, clouds, and thunder. Silver inlay is a technique for creating sumptuous decorative designs by making grooves in the surface of an object and filling them with thin silver wire.

Incense Burner with Inlay Silver Decoration

Goryeo Dynasty, 13th–14th century / Copper Alloy / H. 29.5 cm, D. 21.0 cm (mouth), D. 14.6cm (bottom)

Constellations Chart: Joseon Map of the Heavens Room No. 117, Joseon Dynasty I

Constellations Chart known as Cheonsang yeolcha bunyajido is a map of the heavens divided into 12 stations (cha) and celestial zones (bunya). This map depicting 1,464 stars was carved in stone in the early Joseon Dynasty based on the astronomical charts of the Goguryeo Kingdom, supplemented with the constellations observed in Joseon in the late fourteenth century. In East Asian thought, the king was mandated by heaven and the ability to understand the movements of the heavens and interpret them for the world was the symbol of royal authority. Joseon produced a new planisphere in the early years to stress its legitimacy by stating that the foundation of the nation was the will of heaven. By the latter half of the Joseon period the planisphere was widely spread among the people through rubbings and hand-written copies.

Royal throne and astronomical chart of the Joseon Dynasty

Printing Woodblocks of Map of the Great East: Map of Joseon Carved in Woodblocks Room No. 119, Joseon Dynasty III

These woodblocks were carved by the geographer Kim Jeongho to publish theMap of the Great East (Daedongnyeojido). Daedongnyeojido is not only a collation of the map-making traditions of Korea, but it is almost as detailed and practical as modern maps. It is especially notable that the map was carved on woodblocks. Varied geographical information was carved onto the wood blocks for printing, which contributed to the wide dissemination of geographical knowledge. Daedongnyeojido, the first Korean map to feature a legend, contains so much information that it is incomparable with earlier maps. It is estimated that a total of 60 woodblocks were used to print the map, and 11 among the 12surviving woodblocks are currently preserved at the National Museum of Korea.

Printing Woodblocks of Map of the Great East

Joseon Dynasty / 32.0 × 43.0 cm / Treasure No. 1581

Oegyujanggak Uigwe: Returning Home after 145 Years Room No. 119, Joseon Dynasty III

Oegyujanggak is an annex of the royal library, Gyujanggak, that was established on Ganghwado Island to store books related to the royal family. In addition to the Uigwe, which are official records of court ceremonies or major state events, the library preserved royal seals, investiture records and books, and royal writings. However, in 1866 the French army attacked Ganghwado Island in retaliation for the execution of Catholic missionaries and looted the books of Oegyujanggak. In 2011,a total of 297 Uigwe from Oegyujanggak were returned to Korea, 145 years after they had been taken. Most of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe were carefully made volumes for the king’s perusal, and 30 of the returned books are exclusive extant copies that provided a great turning point in the study of Joseon Dynasty Uigwe.

A display at the Joseon Dynasty III Gallery

Portrait of Emperor Gojong: The Korean Empire, an Imperial Nation Room No. 120, Korean Empire

In 1897, Emperor Gojong of Joseon was enthroned as emperor and the name of the nation was changed from Joseon to theKorean Empire. Under the international order centered on China, the king of Joseon could not be an emperor. With the foundation of the Korean Empire, however, Gojong became emperor and all state rites were reorganized to fit the status of an imperial nation. Such moves were intended to strengthen the nation as an independent state in response to foreign invasions in the late nineteenth century. In the portrait exhibited in the Korean EmpireGallery, Gojong is dressed in a yellow robe, which is symbolic of an emperor, unlike the portraits of preceding kings of Joseon.

A display at the Korean Empire Gallery