• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.334-365
• /
• 2010

Mother-of-Pearl craftwork sketch involves the whole process of making a piece of work. Therefore, it includes types, forms, sizes, and patterns of the work. Some information about when and by whom those works were manufactured and who ordered them are still found in some sketches. This paper seeks to find out popular types and patterns of the works in each period and its demand and the way of supply by examining the collection of approximately 1700 Mother-of-Pearl craftwork sketches from the period of Japanese colonization up to the present time, which are owned by Mr. Song Bang-wung, Important Intangible Cultural Heritage no.10. Typical patterns of sketches are the hua-jo(花鳥 : Flowers and Birds), the Sakunja(四君子 : Four Gracious Plants), cultural treasures, figures in folk tales, 'Su-bok(壽福)' characters, and landscape. The pattern sketches have changed according to the circumstances of Korean society. During the period of Japanese colonization from the 1920s to the 1940s the manufacture and the supply and demand of Mother-of-Pearl craftworks were controled by the Japanese government. As a result, many of the patterns were adjusted to the Japanese taste. Most of its customers were also Japanese. During the 1950s after Independence the American Military Forces appeared as new customers due to the Korean War. Thus, the traditional Korean patterns to decorate accessories adored by American soldiers gained popularity. Foreign Mother-of-Perls were imported from the late 1960s to the 1970s. They were bigger and more colorful than those of Korean and it enabled the sketches bigger and the patterns more various. The most popular pattern in this period was the pattern of cultural treasures, such as an image of Buddha, metalcraft works, porcelains and pagodas. In terms of a technique, new techniques, such as engraving and rusting were introduced. There was a great demand for Mother-of-Pearl craftworks in the 1970s as people were highly interested in them. They were entirely made to order and there was a large demand from diverse organizations, furniture dealers and individuals. And the Mother-of-Pearl craftwork was in full flourish in the 1970s due to the country's economic development and the growth of national income. Mass production of the works was possible and the professional designers who drew patterns actively worked in this period. The favor of Mother-of-Pearl craftworks declined in the 1980s since the built-in furniture and the Western style of furniture became prevalent due to the change of housing into apartments. But it seemed that the manufacture of Mother-of-Pearl craftworks revived for once the technique of Kunum-jil(끊음질 : cutting and attaching) became popular in Tong-young(統營). After the 1990s, however, the making of Mother-of-Pearl craftworks gradually declined as the need of them decreased. Now it barely maintains its existence by a few artisans.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
• /
• v.98
• /
• pp.226-241
• /
• 2020

Located on the right side of the third floor of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the "Art of Central Asia" exhibition boasts the world's finest collection of artworks and artifacts from the Silk Road. Every item in the collection has been classified by region, and many of them were collected in the early twentieth century through archaeological surveys led by Russia's Pyotr Kozlov, Mikhail Berezovsky, and Sergey Oldenburg. Some of these artifacts have been presented around the world through special exhibitions held in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Korea, Japan, and elsewhere. The fruits of Russia's Silk Road expeditions were also on full display in the 2008 exhibition The Caves of One Thousand Buddhas - Russian Expeditions on the Silk Route on the Occasion of 190 Years of the Asiatic Museum, held at the Hermitage Museum. Published in 2018 by the Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House in collaboration with the Hermitage Museum, Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia introduces the Hermitage's collection of artifacts from the Kuche (or Kucha) region. While the book focuses exclusively on artifacts excavated from the Kuche area, it also includes valuable on-site photos and sketches from the Russian expeditions, thus helping to enhance readers' overall understanding of the characteristics of Kuche art within the Buddhist art of Central Asia. The book was compiled by Dr. Kira Samosyuk, senior curator of the Oriental Department of the Hermitage Museum, who also wrote the main article and the artifact descriptions. Dr. Samosyuk is an internationally renowned scholar of Central Asian Buddhist art, with a particular expertise in the art of Khara-Khoto and Xi-yu. In her article "The Art of the Kuche Buddhist Temples," Dr. Samosyuk provides an overview of Russia's Silk Road expeditions, before introducing the historical development of Kuche in the Buddhist era and the aspects of Buddhism transmitted to Kuche. She describes the murals and clay sculptures in the Buddhist grottoes, giving important details on their themes and issues with estimating their dates, and also explains how the temples operated as places of worship. In conclusion, Dr. Samosyuk argues that the Kuche region, while continuously engaging with various peoples in China and the nomadic world, developed its own independent Buddhist culture incorporating elements of Gandara, Hellenistic, Persian, and Chinese art and culture. Finally, she states that the culture of the Kuche region had a profound influence not only on the Tarim Basin, but also on the Buddhist grottoes of Dunhuang and the central region of China. A considerable portion of Dr. Samosyuk's article addresses efforts to estimate the date of the grottoes in the Kuche region. After citing various scholars' views on the dates of the murals, she argues that the Kizil grottoes likely began prior to the fifth century, which is at least 100 years earlier than most current estimates. This conclusion is reached by comparing the iconography of the armor depicted in the murals with related materials excavated from the surrounding area (such as items of Sogdian art). However, efforts to date the Buddhist grottoes of Kuche must take many factors into consideration, such as the geological characteristics of the caves, the themes and styles of the Buddhist paintings, the types of pigments used, and the clothing, hairstyles, and ornamentation of the depicted figures. Moreover, such interdisciplinary data must be studied within the context of Kuche's relations with nearby cultures. Scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating could also be applied for supplementary materials. The preface of Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia reveals that the catalog is the first volume covering the Hermitage Museum's collection of Kuche art, and that the next volume in the series will cover a large collection of mural fragments that were taken from Berlin during World War II. For many years, the whereabouts of these mural fragments were unknown to both the public and academia, but after restoration, the fragments were recently re-introduced to the public as part of the museum's permanent exhibition. We look forward to the next publication that focuses on these mural fragments, and also to future catalogs introducing the artifacts of Turpan and Khotan. Currently, fragments of the murals from the Kuche grottoes are scattered among various countries, including Russia, Germany, and Korea. With the publication of this catalog, it seems like an opportune time to publish a comprehensive catalog on the murals of the Kuche region, which represent a compelling mixture of East-West culture that reflects the overall characteristics of the region. A catalog that includes both the remaining murals of the Kizil grottoes and the fragments from different parts of the world could greatly enhance our understanding of the murals' original state. Such a book would hopefully include a more detailed and interdisciplinary discussion of the artifacts and murals, including scientific analyses of the pigments and other materials from the perspective of conservation science. With the ongoing rapid development in western China, the grotto murals are facing a serious crisis related to climate change and overcrowding in the oasis city of Xinjiang. To overcome this challenge, the cultural communities of China and other countries that possess advanced technology for conservation and restoration must begin working together to protect and restore the murals of the Silk Road grottoes. Moreover, centers for conservation science should be established to foster human resources and collect information. Compiling the data of Russian expeditions related to the grottoes of Kuche (among the results of Western archaeological surveys of the Silk Road in the early twentieth century), Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia represents an important contribution to research on Kuche's Buddhist art and the Silk Road, which will only be enhanced by a future volume introducing the mural fragments from Germany. As the new authoritative source for academic research on the artworks and artifacts of the Kuche region, the book also lays the groundwork for new directions for future studies on the Silk Road. Finally, the book is also quite significant for employing a new editing system that improves its academic clarity and convenience. In conclusion, Dr. Kira Samosyuk, who planned the publication, deserves tremendous praise for taking the research of Silk Road art to new heights.