The Road to Happiness: Special exhibition at the National Museum of Korea

by Jessica Paik

The Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner of Baekje Dynasty

Entering a dark veiled room, I am guided through an exhibition on Taoist Culture in Korea with a collection of small artifacts and paintings. The walls are lined with an array of ceramic ewers, porcelain peach-shaped water droppers, screen paintings, jeweled pendants and more. However, upon entering, a large fabric stretched cubical conspicuously invades the space. From the outside, only a mysterious golden haze is seen. A few steps more into the cubical opening, the highlight of this exhibition is revealed: The Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner of Baekje Dynasty. Placed at the center of the exhibition in its own private compartment, this piece is clearly meant to display one of Korea’s most prized treasures.

This incense burner is one of South Korea’s designated National Treasure No.287, and the burner was used at ancestral rites or other unique ceremonies. One can imagine how beautifully this burner performed, as scented smog would rise from the phoenix’s (bonghwang) chest, and five other ventilated holes located at the top part of the lid. The smog would rise through the phoenix’s head, and through the beak, which also holds a tarnished pearl. The intricate sculpting and sophisticated form pull our gaze and attention to a visual story told by the casted figures and shapes crowding the egg shape dimension. An incense burner of this kind has not been found anywhere else in the world. Created during the Baekje Dynasty, this masterpiece conveys the exquisite techniques, sensitivity, and sophisticated eye for which the artists of Baekje were known and lauded.

I stood there for twenty minutes observing the details on each thin mountain fold. Scrutinizing all the different types of musicians, instruments, landscapes and animals, I paused to realize a great disappointment: the lack of diversity in Korean art within the States.

Most Korean artwork displayed and collected by American Museums are from the Joseon period, which consist of hanboks, bojagis (silk gift wrapping cloth), porcelain ceramics, and paintings. Joseon period art is also characterized by a simplistic aesthetic, very different from its preceding dynasties. Even though Joseon period artwork is known to define and distinguish Korean from Chinese and Japanese art, acknowledging the artistry from its preceding dynasties would accentuate the amount of diversity and transformation Korean art has undergone. Most recently, the Metropolitan Museum (Met) exhibited Korean art from the Silla Kingdom. Showing Silla Kingdom arts, especially as an international exhibition, is not a common practice. I was not able to see the Silla exhibition at the Met, but I am pleased and hopeful to see how Korean art will continue to expand beyond its Joseon period works.

This special exhibition on Taoist Culture in Korea is at the National Museum of Korea. Admission is free, and the exhibition will end on Sunday, March 02 2014 .