• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.18
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• pp.1-18
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• 2017

This study investigated the techniques applied in the manufacturing of the horse trappings with jewel beetle adornment excavated from Geumgwanchong Tomb, with a focus on the use of jewel beetle wings. It is revealed that the wings of jewel beetles were stripped of their upper skeletal parts and applied as ornamentation under the gilt-bronze openwork plate, and no additional process was applied to improve adhesion. The horse trappings from Geumgwanchong Tomb include saddles, stirrups, horse strap pendants, and bamboo mudguards, but most of the components except the stirrups are failing or lost, making it difficult to identify the manufacturing techniques. The techniques used to affix the jewel beetle wings vary depending on the support materials. Small chisels were used to fix the jewel beetle wings to the stirrups and saddle made of wooden supports. In the case of the bamboo mudguards and metal artifacts, the wings were fixed with lacquer and then combined with the gilt-bronze openwork plate using pressure.