| From left to right: Baekje incense burner, white porcelain with plum and bamboo design in iron-brownunderglaze, and pensive bodhisattva |
The National Museum of Korea has selected twenty different masterpieces of Korean arts and crafts from its 260,000 cultural properties to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its 2005 relocation from the grounds of Gyeongbok Palace to Yongsan. The different pieces were chosen by considering the degree to which they represented a particular period of history, their academic and cultural importance, and how well they contributed to the museum’s collection as a whole. The selected artworks have been christened the “M20,” or “Masterpiece 20.”
| (Travel scenes from Songdo) |
The artifacts selected represent different periods and ideologies and take different forms, but all are imbued with a distinctively Korean essence.
The selected pieces date from as far back as the Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla Periods, and run all the way through the end of the Joseon Dynasty. The collection includes remarkable examples of pottery and ceramics from all periods, including Silla duck-shaped and comb-patterned pottery, along with Goryeo celadon and Joseon white porcelain vessels. Buddhist art from a variety of periods is represented, while exceptional examples of painting, such as Kim Hong-do’s genre paintings, display the artistry of the Joseon Period. Silla’s gold crowns and girdles will be part of the display, as will the famed Baekje incense burner decorated with a design of mountains, a dragon, and a phoenix.
| Ten-story pagoda from the site of Gyeongcheonsa (left), gold crown from Hwangnamdaechong (top right), and Maebyeong (bottom) |
“We selected the M20 to represent Korean beauty. Each piece is a rare and extraordinary example of the era from which it comes, and together, they show the uniqueness of Korean culture,” said museum director Choe Kwang-sik.
The M20 is also an excellent reason to visit the newly reopened Baekje room, where the “Flowers of Baekje Culture Bloom” exhibit features 530 artifacts from the Baekje Kingdom.
The M20 will be introduced to G20 world leaders and representatives from international organizations on November 11, when the museum hosts the G20 welcome reception. As part of the reception, guests will dine in the special exhibition gallery, taking in the visual splendor of Korea's history and culture with their dinner.
To see the items selected for the M20, please visit http://www.museum.go.kr/main/index/index001.jsp.
No comments:
Post a Comment