Cultural properties abroad returns to homeland and gathers in one place

Cultural properties abroad returns to homeland and gathers in one place: Heritage / 연합뉴스 / 2022-07-06 11:12:28

▲ This photo, provided by the National Palace Museum of Korea, shows "Box with Inlaid Mother-of-Pearl Plum, Bird, and Bamboo Design" that will be displayed in the special exhibition, "Treasures of Ours, Treasured by Others-Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage" for the first time. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by the National Palace Museum of Korea, shows "A Compilation of Calligraphy by Joseon Kings" that will be displayed in the special exhibition, "Treasures of Ours, Treasured by Others-Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage" for the first time. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by the National Palace Museum of Korea, shows "White Porcelain Cylinder-shaped Bottle in Copper Underglaze," that will be displayed in the special exhibition, "Treasures of Ours, Treasured by Others-Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage" for the first time. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by the National Palace Museum of Korea, shows the poster for the special exhibition, "Treasures of Ours, Treasured by Others-Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- The Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty that were illegally exported during the Japanese colonial period, the seal of state stolen during the Korean War, white porcelains owned by Americans… .

The cultural properties of Korea that have been scattered all over the world have found their place and are finally gathered in one place.

The National Palace Museum of Korea and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation announced on Wednesday that they will be holding a special exhibition "Treasures of Ours, Treasured by Others-Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage," which will display about 40 cultural properties that have returned to Korea, from July 7 till September 25.

This exhibition was prepared to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (OKCHF), which is an organization in charge of research, recovery, and utilization of Korean cultural assets abroad. The purpose of this exhibition is to retrace the journey of the Korean Cultural Heritage.

In this exhibition, the three cultural properties that have recently returned from Japan and the United States will be unveiled for the first time.

The "Box with Inlaid Mother-of-Pearl Plum, Bird, and Bamboo Design" that returned from Japan last year, used the Najeon technique, which involves inlaying mother-of-pearl on the surface of lacquered objects. Presumed to have been made in the late Joseon Dynasty, it is a high-quality piece that has been preserved in excellent condition. Thus, it has considerable value for exhibition and research.

Retrieved from the United States in March of this year, "A Compilation of Calligraphy by Joseon Kings" is a book that has the compilation of calligraphy by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. While it was first published in 1722, new calligraphy was added to the book in 1725. Such an addition of later calligraphy is rarely seen in these compilations.

The "White Porcelain Cylinder-shaped Bottle in Copper Underglaze," which is a white porcelain bottle adorned on its surface with copper pigment, had been in possession of Stanley Smith, who served as a missionary in Korea. It is an important example of the removal of cultural properties to locations abroad.

Major cultural assets that have been reported through various medias will also be open to the general public.

"The Gathering of Officials at Dokseodang Hall," which portrays scholars boating in the area around the Dongho Lake (from Ttukseom Island to Oksu-dong on the Han River) around 1531, the year of King Jungjong of the Joseon Dynasty (reigned 1506-1544) is one of the representative cultural properties.

Additionally, a pair of "Armor in Cotton with Leather Plates" and "Stone Sculpture of a Civil Official," which has been voluntarily donated by a German collector in 2018 and 2019, respectively, will be shown to the public for the first time.

"Album of Gyeomjae Jeongseon's Paintings," which returned from Germany in 2005 as a permanent rental, will also be displayed at the exhibition.

This exhibition is largely divided into three categories, namely “Korean Cultural Heritage in Overseas Collections,” “For Their Return,” and “Treasures of Ours, Treasured by Others.” In the first part, "Korean Cultural Heritage in Overseas Collections," it explores the diverse routes through which Korean cultural properties have been taken abroad.

Visitors will be able to see the Odaesan Copy of the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, which was returned after the Japanese imperialists illegally exported it in 1913. It was then repatriated through the combined efforts of the government and private sector. Along with that, the Junmyeongjibo (Seal of Royal Appointment) State Seal, which was stolen by an American soldier during the Korean War and returned through the South Korea-USA summit in 2014, will be on display.

In "For Their Return," one will be able to listen to the explanations of the donation, investigation and the route of return of the "Semi-formal Jacket and Ceremonial Skirt Won by Princess Deokhye," and the "Original Edition of Taehwangwon Banknote Issued by the Ministry of Taxation," the first banknote issued by King Gojong in 1893.

In the last "section" of the exhibition, one will be able to experience the vivid stories of those involved in helping the "return" of cultural properties that remain in overseas collections, including their achievements of their efforts of the utilization of overseas properties in the sites where they are held.

"I hope that this exhibition will increase the public interest in our cultural assets overseas and will serve as an opportunity to secure affectionate criticism and support for our future journey," an official from the National Palace Museum of Korea said.

As one will be able to see in the exhibition, while there are continuous efforts from various fields to recover cultural properties abroad, there is still a long way to go.

According to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, as of January 1 2022, the number of Korean cultural assets overseas is estimated to be 214,208, and are scattered in 25 countries including Japan, the United States, Germany, China, the United Kingdom, and France.