Gold treasures from ancient Korean kingdom to go on show in Paris exhibition

▲ This combined image provided by the Gyeongju National Museum shows a gold crown (L) and a gold belt from the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla (57 B.C.-935 A.D.) (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Korean treasures-Paris exhibition

Gold treasures from ancient Korean kingdom to go on show in Paris exhibition

SEOUL, May 11 (Yonhap) -- A major exhibition showcasing the golden heritage of an ancient Korean kingdom will open in Paris this month, bringing together rare artifacts that span a millennium of history, organizers said Monday.

Titled "Silla: Gold and the Sacred. Royal Treasures of Korea (57 BCE-935 CE)," the exhibition will be held at the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts from May 20 to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and France.

It marks the first exhibition in Europe dedicated exclusively to Silla and the largest of its kind ever held overseas, according to officials at the Gyeongju National Museum, which co-organized the exhibit with Guimet.

The show features 148 artifacts from the kingdom that ruled about two-thirds of the Korean Peninsula at its height. Among the highlights are a gold crown and a gold belt excavated from the Geumgwanchong tomb, relics that first drew global attention to Silla's craftsmanship more than a century ago.

From the rise to the fall of the kingdom, the exhibition unfolds in five thematic sections that trace the history, artistic expressions and memory of a state that was both powerful and deeply rooted in spiritual traditions, according to the French museum.

"It offers a fresh perspective on this civilization, revealing how political, religious and aesthetic dynamics intertwined to produce a legacy that has survived to this day," the museum said on its website.

The exhibition will run until Aug. 31 before moving to the Shanghai Museum, where it is scheduled to open on Sept. 22.

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