• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.141-154
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• 2016

The gilt-bronze decorated bamboo mudguards with heavenly horse design excavated in 1973 at Cheonma Tomb of Shilla are the unprecedented relics in Korean history as it has its original structure. Although the bamboo mudguards were excavated in not only Cheonma Tomb, but also in Geumgwanchong and Geumryeongchong, all of them remains into pieces. In addition, there are no exact data related with its structure and manufacturing technique. The report deals with the manufacturing technique of the bamboo mudguards with heavenly horse design excavated in Cheonma Tomb through the naked eye's observation, X-Ray Fluorescence, and Transmission X-rays analysis etc. Bamboo mudguards basically have the three divided structure with central-focus structure of a radiation style. And the mudguards consists of Bratticing gilt-bronze, fabric, and bamboo plates together, as ornamental fringe of 4 plates. The surface of the gilt bronze plates was decorated with a variety of workmanship and pendant. Bamboo plates have a waved pattern by using about three hundred bamboo bark. Two types of textiles were mainly found in the textile plates, and the leather were partially found. In order to combine all plates together, gilt-bronze bottonhead, pendant decoration, and ornamental fringe were used. It would be helpful to study bamboo mudguards during 5th-6th centuries in Shilla period and basis investigations of Geumgwanchong and Geumryeongchong excavations.

• 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.