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