• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.92-107
• /
• 2018

In 2013~2016, gilt-bronze shoes were excavated from the ancient tombs in Jeongchon Village located at Bogam-ri, Dasi-myeon in Naju. They are estimated to have been made in the late 5th or early 6th centuries. The gilt-bronze shoes are significant in that they serve to explicate the relationship between the center of Baekje and the local forces in the Yeongsan River Basin. This study's specific focus was the gilt-bronze shoes from the ancient tombs in Jeongchon Village. Based on the findings, a restoration drawing was designed and restored products were manufactured by considering metalwork techniques used to manufacture the original ones. At first, manufacturing techniques were tested by using a scientific analysis and visual observation. The manufacturing method, structures, and patterns of the gilt-bronze shoes were closely examined. Then, a design drawing of gilt-bronze shoes was created through field measurement and they were recreated on the basis of the analysis. The original form of the restored products were manufactured through cutting out the outward form, bore carving, engraving, molding, plating, and an assembly process. In the restoration process, this study examined the formal characteristics of gilt-bronze shoes, manufacturing techniques, and archetypes during Baekje's late Hanseong era. Products restored from this study are expected to be used as achievements for more easily understanding the culture of Baekje.

• Conservation Science in Museum
• /
• v.20
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2018

In February 1986, a high-school student reported the discovery of fragments of gilt-bronze burial goods on a mountainside behind a village in Ipjeom-ri, Ungpo-myeon in Iksan. The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage immediately undertook an excavation. Unfortunately, gilt-bronze relics including a band and vertical decorations for a crown, a hat, and shoes had already been collected from Ipjeom-ri Tomb 1 by the student who found them before they could be properly excavated. Also, the interior of the stone chamber of the tomb had been severely disturbed by the time of excavation, making it difficult to identify the precise original locations of the relics within the tomb and hindering the reassembly of the fragments of the gilt-bronze crown. After conservation treatment, the gilt-bronze hat, shoes, and other relics were restored to their original forms and researchers were able to identify incised designs of a three-legged bonghwang(鳳凰), fish scales, lotus flowers, and other motifs. This study presents the major features of the fragments of gilt-bronze relics from Ipjeom-ri Tomb 1 and the methods of their production in order to provide basic material for their restoration and allow the eventual restoration of the giltbronze crown to its original condition.

• Conservation Science in Museum
• /
• v.19
• /
• pp.69-82
• /
• 2018

The gilt-bronze standing Buddha and bronze standing Buddha statues excavated from Yeongguksa Temple in Yeongdong, currently held in the collection of the Cheongju National Museum, underwent conservation treatment after scientific study. Materials analysis showed that the gilt-bronze statue was made with a ternary alloy of copper, tin, and lead, while the bronze statue is of a binary alloy of copper and tin. The analysis also revealed that the bronze statue contains gold, and it is therefore recommended to change its description to gilt-bronze standing Buddha. The gilt-bronze statue appears to have been made with lead produced in Korea. The material observed on the surface that is presumed to have been used as an adhesive for the gold coloring is thought to be lacquer. For conservation treatment, the statues were minimally cleaned using physical and chemical methods and were treated through consolidation and protective coating.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.202-223
• /
• 2020

This purpose of this article is to identify the original form of the gilt-bronze ornamental pieces unearthed from the east part of the third wooden coffin in the Naju Bogam-ri Jeongchon (NBJ) tombs. The gilt-bronze ornamental pieces were all small, measuring less than 3cm in size and about 0.2cm in thickness, and only 19 or more small pieces were identified. In each piece of gilt decoration, a circular perforation, convex pattern, leaf-shaped spangle (瓔珞), 2 small holes for attaching spangles and gilt-bronze thread, 2 small holes for unknown purposes, and a continuous dot pattern of about 0.05 cm can be observed. As a result, it was judged that the gilt-bronze pieces excavated from the NBJ No. 1 chamber were part of the Headband Crown. Therefore, type 1 and type 3 of the gilt-bronze pieces were determined to be part of the Headband, and type 2 to be part of the Vertical Ornaments. Based on previous results, two types of restoration were proposed for NBJ No. 1 tomb gilt-bronze ornaments. In the first restoration proposal, there are wave-shaped dot patterns on the top and bottom of the crown, and the middle decoration is a spangle, circular perforation and spangle and a convex-pattern. In the second restoration plan, one row of convex patterns was added among the decorations in the middle of the first. The same type of vertical ornament was found in the Sochang (小倉) collection crown, but the overall structure and shape of the crown were completely different. On the other hand, the use of small holes of unknown use, as seen in the crown, was presumed to represent holes for fixing to a cap of organic matter. The restored NBJ No. 1 tomb gilt-bronze crown is characterized by circular punching, which makes it difficult to find an analogy in the other Three Kingdoms-period crowns. Unlike the existing halls in Gaya, Mahan, and Baekje, each district has a unique shape and decoration. The gilt-bronze crown excavated from NBJ No. 1 tomb is thought to reflect these characteristics.

• Conservation Science in Museum
• /
• v.23
• /
• pp.91-108
• /
• 2020

This study conducted non-destructive analyses of the material features of seven gilt-bronze crowns of Baekje Kingdom that were excavated in the Cheonan, Gongju, Seosan, Iksan, Naju, and Hapcheon areas. A typical Baekje gilt-bronze crown has a conical inner crown and an outer crown embellished with vertical ornaments on the front and the back, a tube topped with a hemispherical ornament, and other ornamentation. Diverse designs (e.g., dragon, bonghwang, flowers, and plants) were applied using a range of techniques, including repoussé, chasing, openwork, and engraving. Formal features differ among the crowns according to their period of production and site of excavation. The substrate metal of the crowns is either pure copper or mixed copper with a small amount of lead. The crowns were amalgam-plated on the surface with pure gold or gold with a small amount of silver. The crown from Okjeon Tomb No. 23 in Hapcheon in the ancient Gaya region has a high silver content, which appears to be a regional feature. In addition, this crown from Okjeon Tomb No. 23, which can be categorized as Baekje-style gilt-bronze crown, seems to be plated at most three times, while the gilt-bronze crowns found within Baekje Kingdom territory were plated once or twice.

• Conservation Science in Museum
• /
• v.4
• /
• pp.57-61
• /
• 2003

From the stupa of Sujongsa-Temple, located in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do province, was excavated a celadon jar with lid, a gilt-bronze nine-storied miniature pagoda and a silver-plate hexagonal miniature shrine, etc. Among them, the gilt-bronze miniature pagoda has been known as a gilt-bronze product since most of its surface has copper tint and the base part has bronze corrosion. Its formal title registered on the Cultural Properties Administration also begins with "a gilt-bronze". However, it was supposed to be a gold product in many aspects: the color and status of the surface, degree of the bronze corrosion creation and the metal thread joining the wind bell. So the necessity to prove its material by a scientific analysis was raised. We examined it with nondestructive method. The results were traces of open-working on many parts of the surface, but no traces of gilding. Moreover, as we perform an XRF analysis, the main component were gold and silver(16%) and some impurities such as copper and iron were found. Therefore, it could be inferred that this miniature pagoda is a gold product.

• Conservation Science in Museum
• /
• v.21
• /
• pp.53-66
• /
• 2019

This study describes the processes undertaken for the conservation treatment of metal artifacts excavated in Hasong-ri, Yeongwol, Gangwon-do and the results of the related surface composition analysis. X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) was applied to analyze the surface composition of a small gilt-bronze wind chime, two clappers, and a small gourd-shaped bronze bottle. The gourd-shaped bronze bottle was investigated using radiography to examine its internal structure. The wind chime and clappers were excavated from the same location. A gilt layer was identified on the wind chime, but surface corrosion made it difficult to identify any such layers on the clappers. The element analysis revealed that the wind chime was made of bronze in a Cu-Sn-Pb ternary system and was gilt-plated using mercury amalgam. The clappers were made from copper with a small amount of gold detected, but did not show any evidence of mercury. Since a thick corrosion layer was affixed to the surface of each clapper, it was impossible to identify the surface composition and determine if the clappers had been gilded. It is possible that the gold detected from the clappers was a foreign substance or had detached from the giltbronze wind chime buried alongside them. The small gourd-shaped bronze bottle was investigated through surface element analysis and radiography to verify if it was a type of silver bottle used as currency during the Goryeo dynasty. The radiography photography identified that a small hole in the middle of the base had been stopped up. The general surface analysis did not detect silver, which suggests that the bottle was made of bronze instead and was not one of the silver bottles used as a means of currency.

• Journal of Conservation Science
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.109-120
• /
• 2010

Four gilded bronze objects and a gilded silver object were examined for elemental diffusion between the gilding layer and the mating matrix. The gilded bronzes consist of three objects from three different historical periods, the Korean Three Kingdoms period, the Koryo and the Choseon periods and one from an unknown period. The gilded silver was from the Koryo period. The amalgam process seems to have been the major technique employed for all of them in gilding. The occurrence of substantial diffusion was observed in all but the anonymous object, particularly in the Choseon artifact where evidence was found that the diffusion phenomenon was intentionally utilized in gilding. The gold content in the gilded bronzes decreases gradually from surface to interior while the copper content increases to the interior, making it difficult to locate the boundary between the gilding layer and the matrix. This gradual change in composition must have resulted from elemental diffusion at elevated temperatures. The oxygen content negligible in the gilding layer precludes the possibility of corrosion being responsible for the varying composition. It is observed that non-uniform diffusion caused variation of colors in the surface of gilded bronzes. The change of colors induced by diffusion, which is always accompanied by the unique surface morphology and chemical compositions, is distinguished from the color change by corrosion. In the gilded silver object, diffusion of mercury was observed along with that of gold and silver.

• Conservation Science in Museum
• /
• v.26
• /
• pp.119-142
• /
• 2021

The gilt-bronze-and-silver shoes, excavated from the Tomb of King Muryeong, revealed many defective parts, which constantly raised in-depth re-investigation and reporting. In that point, scientific treatment and analysis were conducted to investigate the manufacturing techniques applied. The conservation treatment was carried out with an emphasis on the restoration of the original form and joining parts. As a result, the upper part of the right shoe and some part of the back heel were joined, confirming the joining method and the number of rivet used for instep bonding. From the component analysis, it is presumed that the outer plate was gilded with mercury amalgam on pure copper, and pure silver was used for the inner plate. The main pattern of the gilt-bronze-and-silver shoes includes designs of phoenix, lotus, and six-petal flower, while the lotus pattern is high in terms of ratio. Thus, youngnaksa(twisted gilt-bronze thread), geumdongsa(gilt-bronze thread), wondujeong (rivet), and samyeonjeong(quadrangular cleats) were used for bonding each plate. Twisted gilt-bronze thread was used to join the inner and outer plates, while the center and rear of the inner plate were combined with only gilt-bronze threads. From the fact, it is presumed that the joining method was different whether the function was decoration or just bonding. Regarding the manufacturing process, traces of burnishing were confirmed on the outer surface of the gilt-bronze and silver shoes, but no burnishing traces were identified on the inner surface of the silver plate, which is likely to prove more importance put on the finishing of the outer plates rather than that of the inner.

• Journal of Conservation Science
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.670-678
• /
• 2021

Anseong Cheonryongsa, a temple located in Anseong Seoun Mountain, is a part of the second Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, under the Yongju Temple, and enshrines a gilt-bronze seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. In this study, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis revealed that this statue is composed of Cu-27.2 wt%, Sn-12.6 wt% and Pb-48 wt%. A gamma (γ) ray (Ir-192) image confirmed damage on the backside of the statue, which was later repaired with wood. The XRF analysis and visual observation determined the boundary between the metal and wood in the statue. In addition, results of standard X-ray peak intensity of gold foil and correlation with thickness helped to derive an equation for calculating the thickness of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's gold foil. It was determined that the gilded chest (21 ㎛) and face (20.7 ㎛) of the statue were the thickest sections, the wooden substratum (11.9 ㎛) was the next-most thick, and the bronze (7.4 ㎛) was the thinnest layer.