National Treasures and Treasures Reflecting the Nation's Aspirations Gather Together

Cultural Heritage Administration and National Museum of Korea Present 'New Treasures Arrived - New National Treasures and Treasures Exhibition'
Showcasing 196 Items of 83 National Treasures and Treasures Designated from 2017 to Last Year
Featuring 'Samguk Sagi', 'Samguk Yusa', 'Joseon Wangjo Sillok', 'Gisagyecheop', etc.
22 Treasures from Kansong Art and Culture Foundation Exhibited
46 Billion Pixel Scan of 'Lee Inmun's Gangsan Mujindo' Unfolded to 30m Length

An exhibition showcasing newly designated National Treasures and Treasures from the past three years will be held. The Cultural Heritage Administration and the National Museum of Korea will host the exhibition titled “New Treasures Have Arrived - New National Treasures and Treasures Exhibition 2017?2019” at the National Museum of Korea from the 21st of this month until September 27. Among the newly designated National Treasures and Treasures from 2017 to last year, 83 cases and 196 items (12 National Treasures with 27 items and 71 Treasures with 169 items), excluding architectural cultural assets and heavy cultural properties, will be displayed. This is the largest-scale public exhibition of National Treasures and Treasures to date. The number of lending institutions reaches thirty-four.

The exhibition is organized around three themes: ▲Preserving History ▲Expressing Art ▲Embodying Wishes. “Preserving History” is a space introducing documentary heritage. Items such as the Samguk Sagi (National Treasure No. 322-1, held by Oksan Seowon), Samguk Yusa (National Treasure No. 306-3, held by Yonsei University), and the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (National Treasure No. 151, held by the National Palace Museum of Korea and others) are exhibited.

Also introduced are “Songjo Pyojeon Chongryu Volumes 6?11” (Treasure No. 1989, privately owned), which demonstrate the development of printing culture in the Joseon Dynasty, “Gisa Gyecheop” (National Treasure No. 325, held by the National Museum of Korea), a royal event record painting, and “Portrait of Choi Seok-jeong and Box” (Treasure No. 1936, held by the National Cheongju Museum), which realistically depicts the face of a nobleman.

In “Expressing Art,” celadon and paintings embodying the aesthetic consciousness of ancestors are displayed. These include the “Celadon Jar Inscribed with the Fourth Year of Sunhwa” (National Treasure No. 326, held by Ewha Womans University), which concentrates early Goryeo celadon production techniques, and the “Celadon Brush Holder with Openwork Lotus and Grass Pattern” (Treasure No. 1932, held by the National Museum of Korea), a quintessential example of Goryeo figurative celadon.

Visitors can also appreciate landscapes of Korea’s mountains and rivers in “Pungak Naesan Chongramdo by Jeong Seon” (Treasure No. 1951, held by the Kansong Art and Cultural Foundation), “Genre Painting Album by Kim Deuk-shin” (Treasure No. 1987, held by the Kansong Art and Cultural Foundation), which depicts ordinary daily life of Joseon people, “Gangsan Mujindo by Lee In-mun” (Treasure No. 2029, held by the National Museum of Korea), an 8.5-meter-long expression of the Joseon people’s utopia, and “Nanmaengcheop by Kim Jeong-hui” (Treasure No. 1983, held by the Kansong Art and Cultural Foundation), which signifies the pinnacle of scholarship and art unity.

The exhibition also features twenty-two Treasures owned by the Kansong Art and Cultural Foundation. Among them are “Portrait of a Beauty by Shin Yun-bok” (Treasure No. 1973), delicately depicting a woman’s beauty, and “Horse-Riding Blue-and-White Painting by Kim Hong-do” (Treasure No. 1970), showcasing the mature skill of the genius painter. A Cultural Heritage Administration official said, “This is the first time such a large number of cultural properties owned by the Kansong Art and Cultural Foundation are exhibited at once,” adding, “Paintings and calligraphy will be rotated every three weeks.”

“Embodying Wishes” highlights Buddhist cultural properties, which account for half of Korea’s National Treasures and Treasures. These include the oldest sarira reliquary among personal and royal peace offerings, the “Sarira Container Excavated from Wangheungsa Temple Site in Buyeo” (National Treasure No. 327, held by the Buyeo Cultural Heritage Research Institute), the “Myo Beop Yeon Hwa Gyeong Woodblock” (Treasure No. 1961, held by Gaesimsa Temple), carved to print Buddhist scriptures, and “Worin Cheongang Jigok Volume 1” (National Treasure No. 320, privately owned), a Buddhist hymn composed by King Sejong to pray for Queen Sohyeon’s repose.

Also introduced are Buddhist paintings and statues such as the “Goryeo Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Painting” (Treasure No. 2015, privately owned) and the “Wooden Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue of Bulamsa Temple in Namyangju” (Treasure No. 2003, held by Bulamsa Temple). A Cultural Heritage Administration official stated, “Nine temples under the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism cooperated in lending items,” adding, “This allows us to appreciate the spiritual foundation that has enriched our culture.”

At the exhibition entrance, a dialogue video titled “Thinking About Treasures,” featuring former Minister of Culture Lee Oi-ryeong, Konkuk University Professor Shin Byung-joo, and actor Lee Soon-jae sharing the value and meaning of cultural heritage with citizens, will be screened. The “Gangsan Mujindo by Lee In-mun,” scanned at 4.6 billion pixels, will be displayed in a 30-meter-long format, accompanied by natural sounds in an experiential event.

On-site viewing will be operated by online reservation to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Viewing sessions will be held every two hours starting from 10 a.m., with a maximum of 200 visitors per session.

The National Museum of Korea will also offer an online exhibition on its website and social media for visitors unable to attend in person. The Cultural Heritage Administration will release thirty key exhibition items on Daum Gallery. Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner Jung Jae-sook and National Museum of Korea Director Bae Ki-dong will explain the National Treasures and Treasures directly through video presentations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.