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Gyeongju University Museum |
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Introduction of Museum |
| Located
in Gyeongju, the hometown of Silla, Gyeongju
University Museum has some 2,300 artifacts
in its collection. Most of the artifacts are
roof tiles from the Silla Era, and include
stoneware from the Bronze Age, earthenware
and ironware from the Ancient Three Kingdoms
Era, and murals from the late Joseon Dynasty.
Most of these artifacts were excavated from
Gyeongju and its surroundings by the museum
or donated. In particular, the earthen furnace
used for fabrication of bronze products, which
was excavated from the ancient town remains
of the Unified Silla Dynasty in the residential
site at Dongcheon-dong in Gyeongju-si, is
such a valuable relic that it was exhibited
at an extraordinary exhibition of National
Museum of Korea, "Unified Silla Dynasty."
Further, the ceramic earthenware, spheres
and knives, the artifacts of the Ancient Three
Kingdoms Era--excavated from the tombs with
wooden coffin rooms at Hwangseong-dong, Gyeongju-si
in 1994--provides meaningful clue to the lifestyle
of the era. In addition, the museum has numerous
earthenware and roof tiles from the Silla
Dynasty donated by the community residents,
which are useful in studying the culture of
the Silla era. In 200, the museum opened an
exhibition hall and hosted a special exhibition
called "Life of Silla People" with
the artifacts mentioned above. |
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Representative Relics |
Three-foot pot |
 
Age: Unified Silla Era
Excavation site: Ancient town remains
at 681-1
Dongcheon-dong,
Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk
Size: Mouth diameter: 13.8 cm, Height:
22.7 cm |
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three-foot pot, found broken on the
bottom of a Unified Silla Era well,
was made of earth in 8th or 9th century.
The artifact is reddish brown, and the
surface is contaminated with black soot.
The inner and the outer surfaces of
the round bottom clearly indicate marks
of burning. S-type legs made of earth
(10 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter)
are affixed on three points of the round
bottom for stability. There has not
been a report of any three-foot pot
showing the intact original form excavated
from residential remains of the Unified
Silla Era. Therefore, this three-foot
pot is an important article for studying
the culinary culture of the Unified
Silla era. |
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Kettle |
Age: Unified Silla Era
Excavation site: Ancient town remains
at 681-1
Dongcheon-dong,
Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk
Size: Base diameter: 11.5cm, Height:
27.4 cm |
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artifact is an earthenware kettle found
broken inside a well of the Unified
Silla Era. Though the kettle has no
lip and handle and cannot be restored
to its original shape, it is not difficult
to imagine what its original shape might
have been. On the lip opening are three
strips of wave line patterns, and on
two locations of the body are two and
three horizontal engraved lines. On
the body affixed a spout of 6 cm of
length and 3 cm diameter, and a handle
on the bottom is a base 2 cm high. The
thickness of the kettle is 0.5 cm, though
the thickness varies in some parts.
This kettle is an artifact from the
Unified Silla Era, and the oldest earthenware
kettle ever excavated and reported.
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The
drawing can be interpreted thus a magpie delivers
an revelation to a tiger, or that a magpie
teases a tiger, which really represents a
corrupt official. All of these interpretations
may represent special affection for tigers.
The tiger in the drawing represents an unsophisticated
shape of a tiger, as illustrated in tales
told by grandmothers, with its big grinning
mouth, large eyes and gentle sitting position. |
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Furnace |
Age: Unified Silla Era
Excavation site: Ancient town remains
at 681-1
Dongcheon-dong,
Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk
Size: Mouth diameter: 7.6cm, Height:
8.5cm |
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artifact is an earthenware furnace found
amongst the remains of a bronze ware
craft shop of the Unified Silla Era.
This furnace is a vessel that was used
to hold the boiling liquid bronze, and
hundreds of other furnaces were found
inside and surrounding the craft shop.
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sizes of the furnaces are not significantly
different from each other. A spout is affixed
on a side of the lip and is stained with bronze.
The furnace is a pointed-bottom model. This
furnace was excavated from a bronze craft
shop in a residential area remains of the
Unified Silla Era, and is valuable for the
study of the bronze ware production systems
of the era. |
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Dragon boat drawing |
Age: Late Joseon Era (after 1791)
Excavation site: Eunha Temple (then, Seorim
Temple),
882 Sambang-dong, Gimhae-si,
Gyeongsangnam-do
Size: 173.2 x 104.3cm |
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artifact is an outdoor mural on Ten-Ghosts
Shrine of Eunha Temple (then, Seorim
Temple) located on Mt. Sineo in Jinhae-Si,
Gyeongsangnam-do, which was donated
by U-Il Seok, the curator of the Silla
History and Science Musuem. The mural
illustrates the dragon boat where Three
Amitayus Budhisattvas and the revived
heading to the Western Land of Perfect
Bliss governed by Amitayus Buddha. The
mural, a part of Buddhist temple architecture
of the late Josoen Era, is highly valuable,
because not many remains of temple murals
can be found today. |
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Arhat drawing |
Age: Late Joseon Era (after 1791)
Excavation site: Eunha Temple (then, Seorim
Temple),
882 Sambang-dong, Gimhae-si,
Gyeongsangnam-do
Size: 105.0 x 84.3cm |
| The
artifact is an outdoor mural on Ten-Ghosts
Shrine of Eunha Temple (then, Seorim
Temple) located on Mt. Sineo in Jinhae-Si,
Gyeongsangnam-do, which was donated
by U-Il Seok, the curator of the Silla
History and Science Musuem. The Arhat
is sitting in a meditation position
on a grass cushion with its body slightly
declined slightly to the right. The
shoulders are raised a little, the neck
is ducked, and the collar is open to
reveal the chest. |
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left hand is lowered and is holding a rosary
of large beads. The right hand rests on the
knee, and the eyes are closed. On the left
of the arhat is a bookcase of Buddhist scriptures,
and under the right knee is a large leaf of
banana plant. |
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How to Find Us |
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Location |
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#Mt. 42-1, Hyohyeon-dong,
Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk 780-712 |
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Phone |
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82-54-770-5081~3, 82-54-746-0250 |
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Fax |
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82-54-748-5921 |
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Hours of operation |
Open dates
- Weekdays: 09:00~16:00
- School vacation: 10:00~12:00
Please contact the liberal arts research room
of the museum for inquire about visiting the
museum in the afternoons during school vacation
and on national holidays, and group tours.
Closed
- Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays |
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