[국립제주박물관] 새로운 지평에 대한 응시, 청동기

국립제주박물관 2010년 기획 특별전

Korean Bronzeware :

Exploring the Dawn of a New Horizon

The event displays a collection of 26 artifacts representing the Bronze Age of the Korean Peninsula.

These artifacts feature remarkable aesthetic beauty combined with sturdiness reflecting the concept of the world formed by prehistoric people settled in Korea.

The exhibition was composed of two sections ;

1. Bronze Ritual Implements, It rules with the Heaven's will

2. Bronze Weapons, It symbolizes the authority of the Absolute

Bronze Bell, Early Iron Age, National Buyeo Museum

The Bronze Age settlers in the Korean Peninsula had a sense of awe in face of natural phenomena, and believed in the existence of supernatural beings that could protect them from various dangers in their surroundings.

They had shamans who were believed to have been endowed with a special power bridging the human world with the world of deities via officiating various forms of rites.

The shamans carried various ceremonial objects, such as bronze daggers, mirrors and bells, which were used to symbolize the authority and sovereignty.

Korean bronze bells such as the one shown above have been commonly discovered at graves, while Chinese bells are typically used for livestock.

Thus, Korean bronze bells are presumed to be ritual instruments.

This bell 16.1centimeters high is also the largest of its kind discovered in Korea so far

Bronze Socketed Spearhead, Three Han Priod, National KimHae Museum
銅鉾

Daggers and spearheads represent Korean bronze weponary.


Artifacts of these two categories tend to be found at the same burial, revealing the absolute status a shaman who was a religious and political leader in the theocratic society.

Bronze Dagger-Axe, Three Han Period, Leeum Museum
銅戈

This particular item(National Treasure No.137-2) was excavated in Hapsong-Ri, Buyeo, and is known to be the oldest of its kind discovered in the Korean Peninsula so far.

This kind of Dagger-Axe shows relationship between Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Islands, for these are reimportation.

Korean-style Bronze Dagger, Three Han Period, Dong-ui Univ Museum
韓國式銅劍 末期形態

The above displays a form similar to that of the iron daggers made during the same period

While the artifact displays the process of transition from bronze to iron dagger,
its hilt and pommel ornament still retain some characteristic features of Korean-style bronze dagger.



Manufacturing Bronzeware

Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin or lead.

Bronze features excellent fluidity when melt, making casting is also easy

Types of Moulds

Use of Mould

Mould, Early Iron Age, National JeonJu Museum

The Bronzeware of East Asia


요령식동검(遼寧式銅劍)
The Liaoning-style Bronze Dagger is one of the major relics representing the early phase of the Korean Bronze Age.

It is also the Korea's earliest metal weapons discovered so far and widely regarded as an artifact symbolizing Gojoseon, the first Korean state in history.

The dagger consists of the body and handle separately made before fitting together to make a complete weapon, distinguishing it from the Chinese and Ordos bronze daggers where the body and handle are made in one piece.

한국식동검(韓國式銅劍)
While the Liaoning-style bronze dagger represents the early phase of the Korean Bronze Age, the Korean-style bronze dagger represents the later phase of the age.

The dagger features a narrow blade marked by straight double edges and a sharp point and has usually been discovered at the sites south of CheongCheon Liver.