• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.270-281
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• 2021

The Yongjam of Oejae, Yi Dan-ha's wife, is an ornamental hairpin with a dragon-shaped engraving; designated as National Folklore Cultural Heritage No. 4. It is also a component of the ceremonial costume, and an artifact of great value as it clearly identifies the position of the wearer and the period of this artifact. The Yongjam has been well preserved in general; however, various pollutants and corrosive products have affected the engraved patterns, requiring conservation treatment. Furthermore, a non-destructive analysis was conducted to identify the components of the materials and the manufacturing techniques used in the ornament. The Yongjam is hollow inside to reduce its weight when placed in the hair and has a color contrast of gold, red, and black. The decorative part and the body were made separately. That is, the body was made from an alloy of copper, silver, and zinc, and its joint was elaborately connected without any overlaps. In the decorative part, different alloy ratios were identified in the dragon's face, beard, horn, body, and fin. Further, for the dragon's face with its delicate patterns, an alloy of silver and copper was used, likely to make the face appear as realistic as possible.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.71-92
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• 2023

This study investigates the symbolism and meaning of the bead design, its relationship with the Silla culture, and the conditions of glass bead manufacturing to verify the theory of Silla's production of Silla face-inlaid glass beads with excellent artistry and technology. The research method includes investigating the design analysis, ancient documents, myths, relics, glass, and metal production techniques. Moreover, Hongshan cultural relics and other cases of inlaid glass beads were collected. There are records in the literature that the people of Makhan, Buyeo and Silla of ancient Korea people considered beads as treasures and used them for accessories. It was confirmed that all the design elements of the bead-patterned hair topknot, golden crown, birds, and flower trees were closely related to the myth of Kim Al-ji of Silla, the oviparous tales and the sacred birds and divine beasts of the north. Moreover, the pattern and arrangements were found to be similar in other Silla relics. The origin of beads and face pendants was Hongsan culture, and a stone cast for beads was discovered in Bukpyo of Gojoseon, the lower-level culture of Hajiajeom. In addition, excavating inlaid glass beads from Sik-ri tombs of Korea and a face-inlaid glass bead from Toganmori tombs in Japan confirms the theory of Silla's production. The fact that the Baekje people of ancient Korea had a glass bead manufacturing office in Japan in the fifth centuries suggests that the Silla people also had a manufacturing plant in Java, Indonesia, because this place was a crossroads of Silla's Sea Silk Road and a source of raw materials and labors with a close relationship to Silla. Therefore, the face-inlaid glass bead was indeed self-made by Silla, who possessed the tradition of bead myths and hair topknot, and the high-level skills such as gold crowns and metal inlays.