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Wonju Municipal Museum |
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Introduction of Museum |
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Wonju
Municipal Museum opened in November 2000 to collect
and exhibit the history and the cultural data of
the Wonju area, and to act as a community education
center where the local history can be taught and
handed down to the younger generations. The area
played significant roles in the development of the
national history of Korea through the Pyeongwon,
Bukwonkyeong and Gangwon Gamyeong (Province office
of Gangwon-do).
The museum has a collection of stoneware and earthenware
from the Old Stone Age, the New Stone Age and the
Bronze Age, tumulus excavation from the |
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Early Era of the Three Kingdoms, Buddhist cultural properties
such as roof tiles and Buddha statues from various ruins
in Wonju, and data relevant to food, clothing, shelter,
and occupations that reflect the lives of our ancestors.
Particularly, various stone sculptures exhibited inside
and outside the museum indicate the brilliant Buddhist
culture and the core cultural characters of the area:
Some of the most commonly found cultural relics in the
area are the seated Buddha statues from Bongsan-dong and
the five-storied stone pagoda and the seated Buddha statues
from Ilsan-dong. The museum also houses valuable materials
such as ancient documents possessed by a number of families
and documents relevant to the resistance to Japan to provide
better understandings of the history and folk culture
in Wonju from the prehistoric age to the modern/contemporary
age. |
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Introduction of Exhibition Halls |
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History Hall
The hall exhibits data indicating the history of Wonju
including the prehistoric era, the Era of Three Kingdoms,
the Goryeo Dynasty, the Joseon Dynasty, and the Japanese-occupation
resistance movements in the modern era.
Wonju is an area where Namhan River and Seom River gathers,
and has borders with Ganwon-do, Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheongbuk-do.
The Wonju area has provided residents with large alluvions
in the valley of Namhan River, and rich foods. The relics
such as stone knives and stone axes of the prehistoric
age, which have been excavated from the historical sites
in Buron-myeon, are clear evidences of the rich history
of this area.
During the Era of Three Kingdoms, Wonju exercised significant
roles as the military strategic point. In the later Era
of Three Kingdoms (after AD 300), Wonju area belonged
to the frontier of Baekje, and then to the territory of
Goguryeo and Silla respectively. The conflicts between
these powers can be verified at the tumulus groups in
Beopcheon-ri, Buron-Myeon.
Wonju enjoyed advantageous conditions of the waterways,
which have well-developed bayous that have been actively
utilized as water transportation systems in the Goryeo
Dynasty. Large temples such as Beopcheon Temple, Geodon
Temple and Heungbeop Temple were prosperous during this
era, and the Wonju area became the center of trades and
traffic by linking the central inland areas and Gaegyeong
at a waterside warehouse called Heungwonchang.
After the Joseon Dynasty was established, Gangwon Gamyeong
was installed in Wonju in 1395 (Fourth year of reign of
King Taejo), and Wonju became the center of politics,
economics, administration, culture and military forces
in Gangwon-do for over five hundred years until the Eight-Province
System in the Joseon Dynasty was abrogated in 1895. Remains
of the government office building of the Gamyeong are
Seonhwadang, the governor's office, and Pojeongru, the
gate of the building.
Wonju was also an area where volunteer soldiers actively
deployed national resistance to the Japanese invasion.
In particular, Geung-Ho Min, in-Seok Yu, So-Eung Lee and
Wi Huh, the officers of Jinwidae (regional military division)
in Wonju, were prominent figures in the resistance movement.
* Folk Life Hall
The hall exhibits information on food, clothing and shelters
that show lives of the ancestors, relics of Korean paper
and Japan lacquer products widely known as local specialties
of Wonju. The hall also exhibits articles related to folk
religions of Mt. Chiaksan. Visitors can sample a taste
of the folk culture of the Wonju area such as dialects,
folk tales and songs using the computers in the hall.
* Ancient Art Hall
The hall exhibits top quality relics in different areas
to allow visitors to experience the artistic touch of
the ancestors. The major exhibited relics include: Elegant
and refined jade green Goryeo celadons, celadon with pure-white
beauty and sleekness, metal artworks, literati drawings,
authentic drawings of the Joseon Era, folk drawings of
funny and simple forms, , mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer
work that represents the beauty of shell and Japanese
lacquer, and classical books worth historical value. These
priceless artifacts are important in understanding the
life and culture of each era. |
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Representative Relics |
Whetted stone knives |
 
Age: Bronze Era
Size: 20.1 cm long and 4.5 cm wide
Excavation site: Wolsong-ri, Jijeong-myeon,
Wonju |
| The
knife was excavated in Wolsol-ri, Jijeong-myeon,
Wonju. On both sides of the knife's willow-leaf
shaped body are lozenge-shaped blades, and
the knife comes together with a sheath. Whetted
stone knives are found in tombs rather than
among living relics. |
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Some of the whetted stone knives found in tombs
have elaborate decorations, and it is presumed that
the knives were not made for functional uses, but
produced as burial accessories. |
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Pattern-stamped short-neck pot |
Age: Baekje Era
Size: Neck diameter 12.1 cm, height 17.2 cm,
maximum diameter 18.8 cm
Excavation site: Beopcheon-ri, Buron-myeon,
Wonju |
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pot was excavated under the shouldered pot
on the corpse bed in the south wall of Beopcheon
Tomb 6, and part of the mouth lip was damaged.
The base earth is screened, earth containing
some sand and the firing grade is soft but
the pot is relatively rigid. The surface color
is grayish yellow, and the interior color
is gray. The bottom is round, and the body
is slightly slated round. Clay jointing is
used for connecting the body and the neck.
The mouth lip is extended outward, and the
end of the lip is processed flat. The surface
is trimmed with a wooden panel and stamped
with thick grid pattern of 0.3 cm to 0.4 cm.
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Four-leafed lotus flower pattern convex tile |
Age: Goryeo Era
Size: Diameter 16.6 cm, thickness 1.8 cm
Excavation site: Remains of Geodon Temple
in
Jeongsan-ri,
Buron-myeon, Wonju |
| Parts
of convex roof tiles connected with convex
tiles were excavated from the remains of Geodon
Temple. The diameter is 16.6 cm and thickness
is 1.8 cm. The tiles were made of fine mud
base earth, soft and gray. Inside the tiles
are traces of water-treatment and cracking
from firing. The lotus consists of four leaves
with the center ridgeline prominently extruded,
and the triangle end extruded over the lotus
pattern. |
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boards are connected to each other through three
prominent lines where the triangle ends. The height
is similar to the ovary. A board is Y type with
the bottom 1.1 cm wide, and the top 3.4 cm wide.
The circumference is 1.2 cm wide and 0.8 cm deep.
The round rolls are wound between the lotus and
the ovary. |
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Four-leafed lotus flower pattern convex tile |
Age: Goryeo Era
Size: Diameter 16.6 cm, thickness 1.8 cm
Excavation site: Remains of Geodon Temple
in
Jeongsan-ri,
Buron-myeon, Wonju |
Parts
of convex roof tiles connected with convex
tiles were excavated from the remains of Geodon
Temple. The diameter is 16.6 cm and thickness
is 1.8 cm. The tiles were made of fine mud
base earth, soft and gray. Inside the tiles
are traces of water-treatment and cracking
from firing. The lotus consists of four leaves
with the center ridgeline prominently extruded,
and the triangle end extruded over the lotus
pattern. The boards are connected to each
other through three prominent lines where
the triangle ends. The height is similar to
the ovary. A board is Y type with the bottom
1.1 cm wide, and the top 3.4 cm wide. The
circumference is 1.2 cm wide and 0.8 cm deep.
The round rolls are wound between the lotus
and the ovary. This Buddha statue, Gangwon-do
Tangible Cultural Property 68, is a seated
Buddha statue from the early Goryo Dynasty.
Though the face was eliminated and the hands
were broken, the halo and the pedestal are
left almost intact.
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On the properly wide shoulders is hung a surplice,
and on the left shoulder is a hook for fastening
the surplice. The right hand is on the leg, and
the left hand is holding at the height of the chest.
Since both hands are seriously broken, it is impossible
to estimate the hands' posture. The halo is in the
shape of a boat, and splendid frame is sculptured
on the edge. The bottom layer of the ped- estal
is missing. The lines connect the head, the shoulders,
and the knees to form an isosceles tri- angle that
represent a stable body position. The resilience
shown in each part of the body inherits the tradition
of -Buddha statues from the Unified Silla Dynasty.
The unrealistic representation of surplice creases
like flowing water and the bold patterns on the
pedestal indicate that the statue was created in
the Early Goryeo Dynasty. This artwork was created
in Early Goryeo Dynasty with the inherited characteristics
of the Buddha statue in the Unified Silla Era. |
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Stone Buddha Statue from Ilsan |
Age: Goryeo Era
Size: Status height (left) 2.25m, and 2.2m
(right)
Excavation site: Jungang-dong, Wonju |
This
seated Buddha statue, Gangwon-do Tangible
Cultu- ral Property 4, is a Vairocana from
the early Goryo Dynasty. This statue was originally
excavated from the remains of an unidentified
temple in Jungang-dong, Wonju, stored in Gangwon
Gamyeong, Ilsan-Dong, and finally moved to
Wonju Municipal Museum.
Both of the statues were missing the halos
and the heads, and the heads were newly made
and attached to the statues. Except the slight
difference in the surplice creases and the
details of the pedestals, the Buddha statues
are virtually identical, and this indicates
that they were created in the same period.
The hands are severely damaged, and it is
hard to identify the hands' posture. However,
both hands gather over the chest with the
right hand above the left, indicating Jigweonin
(one of the hand postures) unique to Vairocana,
the sy- |
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of truth. The Buddha statues rest on a typical octagonal
pedestal, which is decorated with lotus on the top
and the bottom layer. The two seated stone Buddha
statues are estimated to have been created during
the Early Goryeo Era due to the reflecting, water
wave like surplice creases, the strap knots over
the stomach, and the brilliantly decorated pedestal.
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Firelock |
Age: Joseon Dynasty
Size: 137.5 cm long |
| Firelock
is a shotgun fired by pulling a trigger and
not by manually igniting a wick. |
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This firelock was also called a bird shotgun for
its high accuracy in hitting flying birds. This
shotgun was later called a matchlock when match-ignition
method was employed. The shotgun was first introduced
to Korea when Yun-Gil Hwang and his group of envoy
brought several pieces presented by the Tsu Island
lord during their return from Japan in 1589 (22nd
year of King Seonjo). Firearms used by the volunteer
soldiers during the Japanese Occupation were mostly
matchlocks, which had not significantly improved
from the firelocks after the Japanese Invasion in
1592. The barrel of the firelock was made of wrought
iron, and the stock is made of wood. |
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Celadon bottle of inlaid patterns of chrysanthemum,
insects and statements |
Age: Goryeo Era
Size: Neck diameter 6.4 cm, bottom diameter
13cm,
and height 38.7 cm |
| This
is the typical Goryeo melon-shaped celadon
bottle with narrow mouth, well-rounded shoulder,
slim waist and wider bottom to give stability.
On the mouth lip and the shoulder are yeoidumun
(dragon design) strip. The bottom is decorated
with lotus petal patterns, and chrysanthemum
patterns are inlaid in black and white inside
36 circles white inlaid on the background
of insects such as flying bees. The glaze
is glossy, and jade colored oil was applied
thickly. The oil was applied to the inside
of the base, and then brushed out. The bottle
was cured with flame-resistant earth mixed
with sand. |
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 Wave-fish
engraved celadon bowl |
Age: Goryeo Era
Size: Neck diameter 12.6 cm, bottom diameter
2.9 cm, and height 4.5 cm |
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inner bottom is shrunken narrow, the base
is narrow, and the exterior slope is almost
straight to form a large mouth. Inside the
bowl are thick engraved lines, and three fish
in the waves are engraved on the bottom. Lotus
leaves are also engraved in thinner lines.
The surface is free of patterns presenting
a clear and simple impression. Jade oil of
glossy and transparent light green is evenly
applied. The bowl features fine cracks, and
cured with silica on three points. |
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Landscape paintings of Myeong-Yeon Sin |
Age: Joseon Dynasty
Size: 59.5 cm wide and 19 cm long |
| Myeong-Yeon
Sin was one of the artists of Dohwaseo (drawing
and painting authority), and son of Wi Sin,
an artist. He was an expert poet, writer and
artist, and he drew mainly landscapes, flowering
plants and black paintings of bamboo. The
style of his landscape paintings is representative
of the Northern Chinese Painting School rather
than the Southern Chinese Painting School. |
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The paintings of flowering plants show crisp coloring
and fresh representation associated with the branching
method of Il-Gye Chu in the Qing Dynasty.
The overall frame and the techniques of the drawings
are very traditional, and he portrays landscape
and human beings with exquisite detail. The color
of the Indian ink is light, coloration is not of
gaiety, and the frame is well balanced. |
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Ssangyuk |
Age: Joseon Dynasty
Size: 61.4 cm wide, 31.3 cm deep and 9.4 cm
high |
| An
indoor game was mainly played by women in
high-ranking officials' houses in January.
The gaming is played by moving the chessman
by the sum of the numbers shown on the two
dices (called Tuja) thrown. This Ssangyuk
board is a high, rectangular wooden board
with high edges. There are 14 chessmen tied
with white strips, 14 chessmen tied with red
strips and two dices. |
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How to Find Us |
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Address |
| 836-1,
Bongsan-dong, Wonju-Si, Gangwon-do, Korea |
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Operating Hours |
Closing
Dates
New Year's day, Harvest Moon day, and the day after
these holidays
Operating Hours
- Winter season (Nov. - Feb.): 9:00 a.m. - 5:00
p.m.
- Summer season (Mar. - Oct.): 9:00 a.m. - 6:00
p.m. |
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Tel |
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82-33-741-2727 |
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