MangoVine
Adventures in East Asia

Beautifully Presented Artefacts at the National Museum of Korea

 19 July, 2009
Sunday

The National Museum of Korea was a spacious, modernist construction housing many of Korea's ancient treasures. Opening in 2005, the place took eight years to build and contains a Childrens's museum in the West Wing, whilst the East Wing displays all the permanent exhibits.

National-Museum-Korea-Animal-People-Statues

Located close to Ichon metro station (Line 1 or 4), the museum doesn't cost anything to enter though tickets do have to be acquired from a box office first, located a short distance from the museum plaza and the entrance to either wing.

National-Museum-Korea-Exterior

The East Wing has three floors and starting at the bottom, we explored the Archaeological Gallery and the Historical Gallery. The second floor contained examples of Fine Art and a Donation Gallery featuring items from Japanese collectors. The third and final floor collects a whole host of Buddhist sculptures great and small and a gallery presenting a range of art from other Asian countries as well as Korea.

I have to admit that though history and context are essential to place, understand and fully appreciate museum artefacts, I often forego this information and purely concentrate on what I like the look of and can photograph. And within the National Museum of Korea, there was plenty!

These animal figures at the top of the page, I found to be creative, as were the following, simpler figures.

National-Museum-Korea-Mini-People

A buddha from the many on show on the third floor and a female figure.

National-Museum-Korea-Buddha

National-Museum-Korea-Female-Statue

Miniature pottery buildings were dinky and interesting with a fair amount of detail.

National-Museum-Korea-Mini-Houses

National-Museum-Korea-Mini-Pagodas

A contrast to the multi-storey scaling pagoda sculpture at one end of the exhibition hall!

National-Museum-Korea-Pagoda

Stamps and their containers..

National-Museum-Korea-Chops

National-Museum-Korea-Chop-Boxes

Unusual bowls and containers, lit perfectly!

National-Museum-Korea-Bowl

Animal skulls.

National-Museum-Korea-Animal-Skull

And animal sculptures. Believe it or not, this is one part of a very hard-looking wooden head rest! (Maybe the pillow disintegrated.)

National-Museum-Korea-Pillow-End

A throne and some traditional architecture.

National-Museum-Korea-Throne

National-Museum-Korea-Old-House-Linh

More photos of the National Museum of Korea on Flickr.

This entry posted in : Attractions. History. South Korea. Tourism.

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