• 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.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.17
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• pp.43-54
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• 2016

This study examines wood materials used in the inscription sword with ring pommel discovered at Geumgwanchong Tomb in Gyeongju: one set inscribed with the name "King Isaji"(K618) and another inscribed with the phrase "the Sword of King Isaji"(M336). The scabbards of both swords are made of Juglandaceae(Juglandaceae Juglans spp). Two separate wood pieces were joined together to create the hilt and the scabbard of the sword engraved with the name "King Isaji." The hilt of the sword with the inscription "the Sword of King Isaji" was also made by joining two wood pieces.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.199-222
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• 2022

It has been 100 years since the excavation of Geumgwanchong (Gold Crown Tomb), a tomb that was accidentally discovered in Noseo-ri, Gyeongju at the end of September 1921 during Japanese colonial rule. Although it is known for its discovery, not only in the Korean Peninsula but also in Asia and beyond, the excavation report was published in Japanese and English by the Government-General of Korea in 1924 and 1928, three years after the excavation. TOMB "KINKANTSUKA" or THE GOLD CROWN TOMB at KEISHU, AND ITS TREASURES) was published as a series of books and picture books. The excavation report was prepared by Kosaku Hamada (濱田耕作), who was a member of the Ruins Investigation Committee of the Japanese Government-General of Korea (later became the President of Kyoto Imperial University, Kyoto, Japan), and Sueji Umehara (梅原末治), who was commissioned to investigate the remains of the Japanese Government-General of Korea. In this paper, the preface was written in July 1922, about half a year after the excavation of tombs, which was much earlier than the official reports, in the 'Korean and Chinese reading book (稿本 高等朝鮮語及漢文讀本 巻五)' by Hamada Kosaku (濱田耕作) for high school students in Korea, which was titled 'New Excavated Artifacts in Gyeongju (慶州의 新發掘品)' with a subtitle '絶大의 發見', a slightly awkward expression in Korean, but it means 'a very big discovery'. The meaning has been introduced as a single unit, emphasizing its significance in terms of the achievements of the excavation of Geumgwanchong, academic and archaeological discoveries, and cultural history in Korean language rather than Japanese language. Since the manuscript was written immediately after the excavation, the excitement as an archaeological researcher at the time of the excavation and expectations for future research can be read as it is. In this paper, I would like to introduce the voice of the excited field leader of the Japanese Government-General of Korea after the excavation of Geumgwanchong in 2022, the 100th anniversary of the writing. In addition, the process from the discovery of the tomb to the preparation of the report was summarized in one chronological table to make it easier to understand the series of flows.

• 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.16
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• pp.46-55
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• 2015

This study examines the ratio of alloy components of six gold crowns discovered in six Silla tombs; Gyo-dong, the north tomb of Hwangnamdaechong, Geumgwanchong, Cheonmachong, Geumnyeongchong and Seobongchong. Concretely, the study looks at whether and how crowns from these various tombs differ in terms of the ratio of alloy components. The analysis of the six Silla crowns found that all of them were made of gold and silver alloy. When comparing the ratio of alloy components in crowns and type of crowns, the Gyo-dong crown which is the oldest of them showed the highest content of gold. Crowns from Hwangnamdaechong and Geumgwanchong in the middle to late 5th century, showed a similar content of gold. Gold content of crowns from the late 5th century to early 6th century tombs decreased in order Cheonmachong, Geumnyeongchong and Seobongchong, thus it confirmed that the older the tomb, the higher its gold content.