Connecting Broken Strings, Restoring Lost Faces

National Palace Museum of Korea Showcases 20 Years of Conservation Science Achievements
First Public Display of Korean Empire Okryeom and Digital Restoration of Portrait of King Taejo

Goryeo Najeonchilgi 'Najeon Chrysanthemum Vine Pattern Box' Production Technique Identification Corner

The National Palace Museum of Korea will hold a special exhibition commemorating its 20th anniversary, titled "RE:BORN, Conservation Science Connecting Time," in the second-floor special exhibition hall from December 3, 2025, to February 1, 2026.

The exhibition highlights conservation science not merely as a restoration technique, but as a process that extends the life of cultural heritage and connects its value to the future, introducing a variety of ongoing science-based research projects.

The exhibition is organized into three sections: conservation treatment, scientific analysis, and restoration and replication. Part 1, "Conservation Treatment: Extending Time," showcases the museum's achievements in conservation treatment over the past 20 years, including the first-ever public display of the presumed Korean Empire artifact "Okryeom" and the "Celadon Jar with Colored Flower Patterns." The Okryeom, a jade screen crafted in the shape of the Chinese character for "double happiness" (囍), is currently undergoing structural reinforcement, as its connecting strings have broken and some beads are missing.

Part 2, "Analytical Research: Illuminating Time," presents the process of identifying the manufacturing techniques and period of artifacts through scientific analysis. It features the X-ray examination results of the Goryeo Najeonchilgi "Najeon Chrysanthemum Vine Pattern Box," which was repatriated from Japan last year, along with the material and compositional analysis of the royal seal "Eobo" used in royal ceremonies.

Digital Restoration of the 'Portrait of King Taejo' Corner

Part 3, "Restoration and Replication: Reviving Time," displays a digitally restored "Portrait of King Taejo," recreated based on glass plate photographs from the 1910s and the version enshrined at Jeonju Gyeonggijeon. The exhibition also details the procedures and techniques used to restore the collection’s copy, which was about half destroyed by fire.

The exhibition hall will feature interactive content that allows visitors to experience the mindset of conservation scientists. There will also be three special lectures and twelve educational programs for children.