Unified Silla Room at National Museum renovated

The National Museum of Korea (NMK) in Yongsan, Seoul, has recently renovated its permanent display of items from the Unified Silla Kingdom (676-935). Adding new artifacts and reflecting the results of recent academic research, the renovated exhibition now focuses on the two main cultural pillars of Silla times: noble Buddhism and regional influence.

Unified Silla was founded in 676 when the two kingdoms of Goguryeo and Baekje lost in battle to Silla. The kingdom maintained its power for more than 200 years until the foundation of the Goryeo Dynasty in 918. The unification of the three kingdoms is a significant moment in Korean history, in that all three different languages, cultures, life styles and customs existent on the peninsula were brought together, integrated and came under the control of a single system.

Formed by the integration of the Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla kingdoms, the Unified Silla kingdom consisted of nine ju, or provinces.

The Iron Buddha from Bowonsa Temple is one of the most significant and representative Buddhist sculptures from the Unified Silla era. The Iron Buddha was on display at a special exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the U.S. in 2013. (photo courtesy of the NMK)

Buddhist beliefs among the people of Unified Silla are reflected in the arts, especially in the styles of Buddha statues. In addition to the unique Silla style, artistic elements from the Goguryeo and Baekje peoples, as well as from the Tang Dynasty in China, were integrated together to create the beautiful uniqueness.

One of the most representative Buddha statues from the period sits in the Seokguram Grotto at Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province). The use of gilt bronze, however, gradually declined with the use of iron on the rise. In particular, the Iron Buddha from Bowonsa Temple is highly recognized, along with the statue in the Seokguram Grotto. The Iron Buddha recently made a brief visit to the U.S. for a special exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It will now be on display at the NMK in its renovated Unified Silla exhibition room.

A variety of artifacts on display were excavated from the Anapji Pond, part of the palace complex in Gyeongju, and from the adjacent castle. They include ceramics, pottery and metal works, all imported from Tang China, giving us a peek into the active cultural exchange that went on between Unified Silla and the Tang Dynasty. On display in the new exhibit are green-glazed pottery items comparable to the similar Dangsamchae items from Tang China.

The displays in the newly opened Unified Silla room offer a lot to see and learn about the unified kingdom. There is a candle stick from Inyongsa Temple, a piece of pottery from Ingaksa Temple and incense burners from Mireuksa Temple in Malheul-ri, Changnyeong-gun County. There is also on display a sariho, a gold-plated silver bowl with a pattern of two birds on the surface. It will be shown to the public for the first time in this new exhibit, after having undergone a lengthy restoration.

Another noticeable change in the Unified Silla room is the installation of touch-screen magnifying glasses. Visitors will be able to study the patterns engraved onto each artifact more closely using the adjacent monitors. The room is also designed with more color and subtler elements that will help people focus more on the displays.

An incense burner excavated at Mireuksa Temple in Iksan. (photo courtesy of the NMK)

The sariho, a gold-plated silver bowl with a pattern of two birds on the surface, offers visitors a look into the luxurious and cultured lifestyle of Unified Silla royalty. (photo courtesy of the NMK)

The newly renovated Unified Silla room has on display burial mound figurines excavated at Yonggang-dong, Gyeongju. (photo courtesy of the NMK)

source:korea.net

Onggi, traditional earthenware vessel in Korea

Steps to making traditional Korean pottery

Usually, the kiln will be fired for two to three days, or about 45 hours. For the first 15 hours, the fire slowly heats up the kiln and dries any moisture that's inside. The temperature is then increased to about 1,200 degrees Celsius, the melting point of the glaze, and continues thus for about 30 additional hours.

The pine logs, changsol, are used to fuel the fire.

(Left) Dissolve the clay in water in order to remove any foreign objects; (right) Mix the clay in water to remove any contaminants.

Treatment of the Clay

The most important element in the production of pottery or earthenware is the clay itself. This is called jeomto or jil in Korean. High-quality clay has a brownish tint because of the high iron content and is also very sticky. The first step in making pottery is to treat the clay.

Drench the newly dug up clay and allow it to get wet evenly.

Second, rinse the clay in water to remove any foreign substances. A strainer is used to remove any stones, sand, tree roots or grass. Let it dry until it is ready to knead. In Korean, this process is called subi.

After treating the clay, mix it and form it into bricks. If the condition of the clay is fine, with few contaminants, you can skip the previous step.

(Left) Sift out any contaminants with a strainer; (right) Remove and dry the filtered clay-water slurry.

(Left) As the clay dries, begin to form it into bricks; (right) Hammer and beat the clay into shape.

(Left) After kneading, cut the clay into hand-held sized pieces; (middle) Pile the broken clay in place; (right) Pound the clay with a mallet to soften the clay.

Step three involves the removing of any contaminants with a so-called mud knife, peeling the clay into 20 or 30 millimeter strips to catch any foreign objects that weren't caught in the strainer. This process is called ggaeggijil in Korean. It will make the clay softer because it takes the air out of the clay. The density of the clay is also increased. After this, form the clay into round chunks about 40 centimeters in diameter. These roundish bricks are called jilmoongchi.

(Left) Cover the clay bricks with clean dirt to prevent them from sticking; (middle) Again, remove any contaminants by slicing the clay bricks with a so-called mud knife; (right) Lump the clay into large, round clods.

(Left) Spread clean dirt on the clods to prevent them from sticking; (right) Dampen and flatten the clods.

(Left) Mix the clay with the mallets; (right) During this process, the clay gets softer and more dense.

In step four, mix the chucks of clay together using the mallets. Traditionally, clean dirt is spread on the ground as the bricks are lined up, in order to prevent them from sticking. Today, however, a piece of hemp or cotton is sometimes used in place of the clean dirt. The mallets for kneading are varied in size, according to use, and pounding or kneading the clay should be done with consistency.

(Left) After kneading, cut the clay into manageable bricks; (right) Turn the clay and lift it from the bottom.

(Left) Pound the clay to make it square; (right) Form the clay into a strip.

(Left) Strips of clay are used to form the final pottery urns; (right) Roll the strips of clay to form strips.

After kneading, cut the clay into manageable bricks and stack them to the side. Cover the stacked bricks with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.

(Left) Form the clay into long rolls; (middle) The clay is formed into long rolls so as to better form the final pottery works; (right) Form the clay into long, thin rolls, to be used in the final pottery process.

Step six is the last step before shaping. Form the clay into round rolls, about 120 centimeters long and four centimeters thick. These are the final clay pieces that will be used to form the pottery.


(Source: korea.net/ Intangible Cultural Heritage of Korea) 

Korean novels in English: Yi Mun-yol’s ‘The Golden Phoenix’

The English version of Yi Mun-yol’s short story “The Golden Phoenix”

It’s safe to say that the influence novelist Yi Mun-yol has had on Korean literature could not be more far-reaching.

The writer joins the ranks of the few novelists who have had many of their works translated and published in numerous languages, including, of course, English, but also French, Italian, Dutch, Chinese and Greek, reaching a worldwide audience.

More than fifty of his novels, whether full-length or short, have now been published for such global readers.

Among them is “The Golden Phoenix,” a 1981 short story. The novel was published in English in 1999, part of a collection of seven short stories, “The Golden Phoenix: Seven Contemporary Korean Short Stories.”

The story frankly discusses the ultimate objective and essence of art, using the conflict and friendship between traditional calligrapher Seokdam and his young pupil Gojuk.

Gojuk is a parentless child, with his father dead and his heartless mother having fled with another man. He has no choice but to live at his uncle’s home. However, as the uncle has to seek asylum in a foreign country, the poor boy is left with the uncle’s old friend Seokdam, who is a calligrapher.

Seokdam wouldn’t have Gojuk under his wing as a pupil since he thinks the way the boy does calligraphy, despite his talented skills, runs against his view of art.

Seokdam’s refusal to teach the youngster puts the two into somewhat of a love-hate relationship. Silently, though, Gojuk starts to polish his calligraphy skills. Unable to turn a blind eye to Gojuk’s natural talent for the art, Seokdam finally accepts the boy, who, however, chooses to leave him in a show of defiance.

As he lives all by himself and keeps doing the art, people start to notice Gojuk’s modern, artistic talent, gaining him sudden fame across the country.

One day, Gojuk feels a sudden sense of emptiness as he thinks that most of his youth has gone nowhere and that all the effort he put into the art has been futile. He then decides to return to his teacher.

“If one can see a golden phoenix rising from his calligraphic works just once in a lifetime, his life has 'got there,’ for sure.” Seokdam repeatedly tells this to Gojuk, but he doesn’t understand it at all.

Gojuk replies, saying, “Even if you can write with one stroke of a brush and see such a golden phoenix soaring from your piece, what’s the use of it?”

Novelist Yi Mun-yol (photo: Yonhap News)

In response, the teacher says that, “That’s the acme of perfection that any calligrapher is eager to reach, even if only once in a lifetime."

Despite the answer, Gojuk sticks to such a defense and drives the teacher to the end of his patience. Seokdam bursts into anger, throwing an ink stone at him and that’s the last the pair see of each other.

Gojuk leaves Seokdam again, determined that he will never come back. Not caring at all about what happens to the stock of calligraphic work he created over the years, he falls into a promiscuous, dissipated life full of women and alcohol.

After some years, however, Gojuk reaches a point where he feels sick and tired of his out-of-control life. He decides to go back to Seokdam. Before that, however, he heads to a temple at Odaesan Mountain to purify his soul from all unclean things.

There, he happens to see an old, faded mural, a work of art featuring a golden phoenix: a bird with golden wings, a hawk-like head and a human body from the neck down. Then he sees the bird come to life and fly high. He now realizes what the teacher really meant when he talked about the bird.

When he comes back to Seokdam, it’s too late. The teacher has already passed away. In despair, Gojuk gathers all his work and starts to assess each piece. Among the many creations, there’s nothing with which he is satisfied. He realizes that his art is still far from perfect and, more specifically, he is at a point where he can see the golden phoenix.

Gojuk burns all of his work. At that moment, he sees a giant golden phoenix soar from the flames. That night, he breathes his last, and he, too, passes away.

Born in 1948 in Yeongyang-gun County, Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province), Yi Mun-yol dropped out of university in 1970 when he was enrolled in the Korean language education program at the College of Education of Seoul National University.

Yi served as a journalist for the Daegu Maeil newspaper until 1977 when he made his literary debut. Now, he serves as a chair professor at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

His major works include full-length novels, such as “The Son of Man” (1979) and “Our Twisted Hero” (1987), as well as collections of short stories, including “The Shadow of Darkness” (1980).

The English-language collection of which this is a part features six other novels: Yun Hu-myong’s “The Girl from the Wind-Whipped House” (1982); Yi Mun-ku’s “The Sunset over My Hometown” (1972); Kim Yong-hyon’s “The Mural” (1994); Choi Yun’s “The Flower with Thirteen Fragrances” (1995); O Chong-hi’s “The Monument Intersection” (1983); and, lastly, Yoon Heung-gil’s “The Rainy Spell” (1978).
source:korea.net

Have a flair for foreign languages? Watch new doors open up for you

Our trade links are expanding across the world and several multi-national companies have simultaneously set up base in India over the last decade. With these advancements the requirement for people with skills in foreign language is increasing rapidly. Fluency in French, German, Russian, Mandarin and more recently Japanese, Spanish and Korean are in great demand. A career in foreign languages also promises a great opportunity to travel the world over and be paid for it too. So if you have a keen interest in learning an additional language and a strong command over existing ones you can make a career out of mastering foreign languages.

CHOOSE RIGHT LANGUAGE FIRST

Popularity or better career prospects in a foreign language are linked with the international and economic ties with a particular country. Aptitude for a language is important while deciding on a language. Universities such as Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University conduct entrance exams at the undergraduate level to gauge the aptitude of potential students.

STARTING OUT

Certificate, diploma and degree courses are offered by various universities like the Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Mumbai University. Courses are also available at private institutes such as Max Mueller Bhavan, Alliance Francaise and Instituto Hispania. These focus more on the spoken and written part of the language , while universities focus on literature, linguistics and translations , as well. On the other hand, most private institutes participate in exchange programmes to enhance the understanding of the language.

CAREER PROSPECTS

"With globalization, the avenues for anyone who knows a foreign language are only growing. The industry has opened up and the European Union also offers a lot of opportunities. MNCs also engage in import and export and hence prefer professionals who know an extra language," said Meher Bhoot, associate professor, department of German , Mumbai University. Careers in foreign languages can include working as interpreters, at international insurance companies, at consulates, knowledge process outsourcing and multi-national companies.

REMUNERATION

Professionals in the industry say that the remuneration that follows from learning foreign languages is very promising. "As teachers one can charge between Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 depending on the institute. At private companies or consulates, students can expect to start out at Rs 30,000 every month," said Bhoot. Once established, interpreters can charge anywhere between Rs 1000 an hour to Rs 25,000 a day. Working out of home and translating matter can even earn you between 60 paise to Rs 5 per word.
source:times of India