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| yna@yna.co.kr 2022-06-16 13:50:20
SEOUL, June 15 (Yonhap) -- Exquisite and delicate relics of Silla that depict two birds and flowers that were carved very thin, finer than a human hair, on a gold leaf that is as thin as paper, were found in Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, Gyeongju.
This relic, which is almost impossible to identify with the naked eye and can only be examined using a microscope, is evaluated as a mysterious work that even modern craftsmen cannot easily make. As much as the pattern shows influences of the West, it is expected to be an important relic for the history of culture and painting.
The Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage announced on Thursday that it has confirmed that the two gold leaf relics discovered in Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, Gyeongju in November 2016 are the same as the 8th-century Silla ornaments with "Hwajodo," paintings of birds and flowers, engraved on them.
The excavation point of the relics is on the "Na" district of the northern side of Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, Gyeongju. One of the relics was found between the building site and the fence site, while the other was found at the hall building site. The distance between the two points is about 20m, and the relics were so crumpled that their original shape was difficult to recognize at the time of discovery.
"It is a miracle that two relics, which are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, was found in different places and was combined into one," said Professor Han Jeong-ho of Dongguk University. "It's amazing."
The gold leaf is about 3.6cm wide, 1.17cm in height and is 0.04mm thick. Made with gold, it has a purity of 99,99%, and weighs 0.3g. The patterns were carved at a thickness of 0.05mm, finer than a human hair (approximately 0.08mm) on the gold leaf in lines less than 0.05mm thick.
Two birds were arranged symmetrically on the cross section of the trapezoid, and a small flower pattern was engraved in the center and around the bird with a tool such as an iron pen. Danhwa refers to a design reminiscent of a flower viewed from above, created by arranging patterns into circular shapes.
“The new pattern is presumed to be oriental turtle doves," pointed out the investigation team. "Danhwa is a characteristic motif of the Unified Silla period, which is also found on the gilt-bronze decorations of the Sutra tube and the gilt-bronze decorations of the phoenix excavated from the western part of Hwangnyongsa Temple.”
"The two birds are depicted very realistically, but the expression of the feathers of the right bird is more lively than that of the left bird," he added. “Considering the body size and the feathers of the tail, it is possible that one is a female and another is a male.”
The Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, which named the relic as “SeonggakDanhwaSsangjomunGuembak” based on the technique and pattern of the carvings, explained that the pattern confirms that Silla was influenced by the countries to the west of China.
The researchers analyzed, "The pattern of the two birds facing each other seems to be related to the Silk Road and the countries to the west of China, but there are the characteristics of Silla."
"It seems that the people of Silla expressed the heavenly world in gold leaf,” said Professor Lee Song-ran of Duksung Women’s University. "I think it’s worth showing it to the world in that it expresses the elements desired by the artist in a very sophisticated and perfect way on a very thin gold leaf."
"There are many Silla metal crafts from the 5th to 6th centuries, but there are few metal relics from Silla and even fewer pure gold relics after the unification of the three kingdoms,” said Professor Lee Han-sang of Daejeon University. “It is a high-quality cultural heritage that shows the technique of metal processing during the golden days of Silla.”
The exact use of the gold leaf remains unknown. However, it is said that it was fixed to a wooden base when engraving the pattern. Also, considering the fact that it has no hole to hang it somewhere, it is estimated to have been attached to a wooden or a metal object.
“It seems that the patterns were engraved on a wide gold leaf before cutting out the parts that was to be used,” said Kim Gyeong-yeol, a curator at the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. “There is a possibility that it may be an item made to offer for the gods rather than being an ornament for decoration, which is why further research is needed.”
Silla gold leaf relics will be unveiled through the exhibition “The Blooming Flowers and Birds on 3cm Gold Leaf” held at the Cheonjeongo of the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, from 17 October till 31 October. One will also be able to see the relics online on the website of the institute.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Haemin Kim.)
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