Virtually explore the National Museum of Korea with Smarthistory as your guide
Some background
videos + essays
The National Museum of Korea's website
Gilt-bronze Buddha with inscription: “seventh year of yeonga“
This gilt-bronze statue is the oldest-known Buddhist sculpture that has ever been found in Korea
Four Preaching Buddhas
The representative example of a sixteenth-century Buddhist painting commissioned by the royal Joseon court.
Buncheong Jar with cloud and dragon design
This buncheong jar with cloud and dragon design integrates the Goryeo tradition with elements acquired through cultural exchange.
Yun Du-seo, Portrait of Sim Deukgyeong
Portrait of Sim Deukgyeong is an exemplary work that demonstrates how a gifted artist can capture a person’s spirit in a portrait.
Gujangbok, a ceremonial robe symbolizing the king’s prestige
A “gujangbok” is a ceremonial robe worn by the Joseon king is adorned with nine symbols representing the consummate authority and virtue of the king.
Kim Jeonghui’s calligraphy of Kim Yugeun’s Autobiography of Mukso
Very few original examples of Kim Jeonghui’s regular script have survived, making this work especially valuable.
Maebyeong with peony design
This large maebyeong with a peony design represents the peak of Goryeo celadon.
Bronze bowl with inscription for King Gwanggaeto the Great
The excavation of Houchong Tomb was a true landmark in the history of Korean archaeology—as this bowl attests.
Kim Jeongho, woodblocks of Daedongnyeojido (“Territorial Map of the Great East”)
In 1861, the great cartographer Kim Jeongho produced the woodblocks and printed the map of Daedongnyeojido (“Territorial Map of the Great East) to create one enormous map of Korea.
Maebyeong with cloud and crane design
Why was this Goryeo maebyeong designated as a “Treasure” of Korea?
Bronze ritual object with farming scenes
The bronze ritual object with farming scenes is an invaluable artifact for our understanding of the Korean prehistoric period
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