Major Public Display of Recovered Cultural Properties Including 'Yeolseong Eopil' and 'Baekjadong Chaetonghyeong Bottle'

National Palace Museum Special Exhibition 'The Journey of Cultural Heritage Outside the Country'

'Mother-of-pearl Plum Blossom, Bird, Bamboo Box'

The National Palace Museum of Korea, in collaboration with the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, will hold a special exhibition titled "The Journey of Cultural Heritage Outside the Country" in the planning exhibition hall from the 7th to September 25th. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, about forty repatriated cultural assets will be displayed. Among the artifacts, three pieces will be revealed to the public for the first time. These include the "Najeon Plum Blossom, Bird, Bamboo Box" repatriated from Japan last year, and the "Yeolseong Eopil" and "Baekja Dongchae Tonghyeong Byeong" brought from the United States this March. Six other items such as "Doksodang Gyehoedo," "Myeonpigaap," and "Muninseok" have only been shown once to the media and are being introduced to the general public for the first time.

The "Najeon Plum Blossom, Bird, Bamboo Box" is a lacquerware box inlaid with mother-of-pearl made in the late Joseon period. It is of high craftsmanship and well preserved. The "Yeolseong Eopil" is a book compiled from rubbings of calligraphy by Joseon kings. It was published in 1722 and is a rare form that added new calligraphy in 1725. The "Baekja Dongchae Tonghyeong Byeong" is a white porcelain bottle decorated with copper pigment on its surface. It was owned by Stanley Smith (1876?1954), a missionary active in Korea. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "It is an important material to verify cases of overseas cultural asset export."

Zealous appeal

The oldest repatriated cultural assets among the exhibits are the "Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Painting Album" and the "Bukgwan Great Victory Monument." They were received in 2005 from Germany (permanent loan) and Japan (return), respectively. The latter was repatriated and returned to its original location in Gilju (Kimchaek), Hamgyeong Province, North Korea, in 2006. The items displayed this time are replicas and are installed in the front yard of the National Palace Museum of Korea.

The National Palace Museum of Korea has organized the exhibition space into "Cultural Heritage Outside the Country," "Until It Returns," and "On Site." In "Cultural Heritage Outside the Country," visitors can explore the process by which Korean cultural assets went abroad. The representative artifact, the national treasure "Odaesan Sago-bon Joseon Wangjo Sillok," was brought from Japan in 2006 through combined efforts of private citizens and the government. The treasures "National Seal Hwangje Jibo," "National Seal Yuseo Jibo," and "National Seal Junmyeong Jibo" were all stolen during the Korean War but their existence was identified through cooperation with the United States. They were returned during the 2014 summit between the two countries' leaders.

Baekja Automatic Filling Bottle

"Until It Returns" introduces various methods of cultural asset repatriation. Donations through institutions are shown with "Princess Deokhye's Dangui and Sran Chima" and the "Hojo Tae Hwan-gwon Original Plate." The former was donated by a Japanese collection to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations. The latter was repatriated to Korea after illegality was confirmed through investigative cooperation between Korea and the United States. Artifacts voluntarily donated by owners include "Muninseok" and "Myeonpigaap." The former was returned voluntarily by the Rotenbaum World Culture and Art Museum in Germany after confirming illegal export. The latter was unconditionally donated to Korea by the St. Ottilien Abbey in Germany in 2018.

"On Site" highlights achievements of cultural assets that have not been repatriated but are actively utilized locally. The National Palace Museum of Korea explained, "Visitors can enjoy videos showing the overseas preservation process of cultural assets supported by the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation and how our cultural heritage is promoted abroad." They added, "We hope that public interest in our cultural heritage will continue to grow and that affectionate criticism and support for future repatriation journeys will persist."

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