Powerful kingdoms have ruled the Korean peninsula for millennia, creating luxurious art for the elite.
57 B.C.E. - present
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Dhratarastra, Guardian King of the East
The huge size of the canvas, the dynamic and decorative lines, and the combination of mineral colors are typical of Buddhist paintings from Korea.
Yun Baek-ha, a calligraphic handscroll
This handscroll is an extremely valuable example of Korean calligraphy
Yi Che-gwan, Portrait of a Confucian scholar
Earlier Korean portraits were more interested in capturing a sense of the sitter's 'spirit' rather than in portraying an actual physical likeness such as this one from the 18th century
Maebyong vases, an introduction
In medieval Korea, wine bottles were known as maebyong, which comes from the Chinese mei-ping ('vase for plum blossoms'), a misnomer dubbed by Chinese scholars of the Qing dynasty.
White porcelain ‘moon jar’
This moon jar is made of plain white porcelain, and it represented the epitome of austere Confucian taste in Joseon Korea
Conserving Korean lacquer
Western furniture conservators learn from Korean conservators and artisans about the original production and conservation of Korean lacquer
Korean Celadons of the Goryeo Dynasty
The distinctive green-blue glaze of Goryeo celadons has made these ceramics famous in Korea and beyond.
Water-Moon Avalokiteśvara
This exquisite example of a Goryeo Buddhist painting depicts the bodhisattva on his mountain-island abode.
Portrait of Sin Sukju
Sin Sukju’s attire and posture may be formulaic, but the face is definitely his—wrinkles and all.
Song Su-Nam, Summer Trees
In title and medium, Song’s contemporary ink-wash painting looks back to the poetic landscape tradition.
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