Korea
The Korean peninsula – currently divided into the countries of
North Korea and South Korea – lies between China, Russia and Japan
in East Asia. This geographical fact has played a crucial role not
only in establishing Korea’s diverse cultural heritage, but also in
the development of East Asian culture and art.
The British Museum’s collection covers over 5,000 years of
Korean art and archaeology, from prehistory to contemporary, from
ornate ritual objects to everyday folk arts.
In AD seventh century, the various states of the peninsula
were unified for the first time under the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-AD
935). During this period, great achievements in historiography,
mathematics, astronomy, metal works and technology of woodblock
printing were made. Active cultural exchange and trade with China
and Central Asia contributed to a more diverse society, whose
achievements spilled over into Japan.
Religion has exerted a profound influence on the arts and way of
life in Korea.
Buddhism was introduced to Korea through China in 372 AD and
soon many Buddhist temples and sculptures were built. The
collection’s lacquered sutra box, used to contain Buddhist
scriptures, exemplifies the significance of Buddhism and
characteristic of the refined craftsmanship in the thirteenth
century Koryo period. During the Choson dynasty (1392 -1910),
Confucianism, with its tenets of frugality and self-cultivation,
was followed by scholars. A reconstruction of a traditional Korean
scholar’s study (Sarangbang) and white porcelain wares,
redolent of Confucian philosophy, form part of the collection.
Image caption: Dhratarastra, Guardian King
of the East, a painting on hemp cloth
Probably from Taegu, Kyongsang province, Korea. Choson dynasty,
late 18th - early 19th century AD