Required Images

196. Gold and jade crown Three Kingdoms period, Silla Kingdom, Korea. Fifth to sixth century CE. Metalwork.

• In the 5th and 6th centuries, Korea had three rival kingdoms.

• The Silla Kingdom in the southeast was the most powerful, known for it cold.

  • Chinese emissaries mentioned its gold and jade crowns.

• Recent research shows these crowns were used in Silla’s royal ceremonies during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE - 676 BCE).

• Koreans practiced shamanism, a nature-based belief system with shamans acting as priest-like figures to resolve community issues, before Buddhism.

  • Silla royals used shamanism in ceremonies, and their gold crowns symbolized power and nature’s beauty.

• The tree-shaped crown (daegwan) is found in royal tombs in Gyeongju, the Silla capital.

• In the vertical tree-of-knowledge tradition, the tree links earth and heaven, serving as a crucial connection between gods and humans.

  • Oracles, judgements, and prophecies are often conducted at its base.

• The crown has three tree-shaped vertical parts, representing a sacred tree in Gyeongju’s ritual area.

  • The sacred tree was seen as a world tree, connecting heaven and earth.

  • Two antler-shaped protrusions could represent reindeer from the Eurasian steppe north of the peninsula.

• The crown features small gold discs and jade ornaments called gogok on its branch-like parts, symbolizing fertility and abundance with ripe fruits.

• The cap had two straps under the chin, as indicated by the small holes on either side.

• Wings, feathers, and flowers were frequently used to embellish the crown, and these ornaments were often kingdom-specific.

• Objects of importance were frequently buried with the deceased.

  • Silla royalty mixed gold and shamanism but followed Chinese burial customs with mounded tombs.

  • The gold crowns served a dual purpose, symbolizing social status in both life and the afterlife.

205. Portrait of Sin Sukju (1417–1475) Imperial Bureau of Painting. c. 15th century CE. Hanging scroll (ink and color on silk).

• The Joseon dynasty was established after Mongol rule.

  • During the dynasty, Confucian values were emphasized: service to the state, loyalty to the ruler, and respect for elders.

• Scroll portraiture portraits honored the contributions of their subjects and reinforced the Confucian ideal of loyalty to the king.

  • A copy of the portrait was hung in family shrines where it was believed to embody the spirit of the subject and served as a focus for the worship of that spirit.

• The writing on the portrait tells us this is Sin Sukju and the painting was reworked in 1475, the year he died.

• The Imperial Bureau of Painting had artists who specialized in different parts of the portrait.

  • They aimed to follow established conventions for these portraits while also creating and capturing the lightness and personality of the subject.

• Sin Sukju was a highly respected scholar and successful politician, named Meritorious Subject four times.

  • He served as prime minister and is notable in art history for cataloging and commenting on the prince’s collection of Chinese and Korean paintings.

• Portraiture conventions were clearly followed.

  • Sin Sukju was shown at full length and turns slightly to his right in a three-quarter pose.

  • He is dressed in his full-length official robe and black silk hat of one who had passed the civil service exam.

  • He has a large badge embroidered on silk with gold thread indicating his official status.

    • His is an auspicious scene of two peacocks among clouds and plants.

  • His hands are neatly folded within his sleeves and his feet rest on Adalyn elaborately carved footstool.

• They were also able to capture his physical likeness and character by paying careful attention to the specific details of his face.

  • They depicted wrinkles around the edges of his eyes (crow’s feet).

  • His thin almond eyes are depicted bright and clear.

  • His mouth is surrounded by deep grooves where the mustache meets his chin.

  • His solemn visage exudes wisdom and dignity.

    • visage: a person’s face with reference to the form or proportions of the features