Gold Crown from Cheonmachong Tomb

Basic information

Designation

National Treasure No.188

Category

Craft

Era

신라시대

Designated year

1978

Location

경주시, 경상북도— 경북 경주시 일정로 186, 국립경주박물관 (인왕동,국립경주박물관)

Coordinates

35.829387, 129.227912

Cheonmachong Tomb was at first called the Ancient Tomb, No. 155, in Gyeongju District. After excavating the tomb in 1973, researchers concluded that this tomb belonged to Sojimaripgan or Jijeungmaripgan, the 21st and the 22nd king of the Silla Dynasty. Many relics were unearthed from this tomb, such as a gold crown and bracelets. Inside the tomb, there is a drawing of a flying horse, which is why the tomb became known as Cheonmachong Tomb, which literally means the “mural of a flying horse”. This is a typical Silla crown. 32.5cm in height, this particular crown was worn by Sojimaripgan when discovered by researchers. Some of the features of the crown include: 1. 3 lines forming the Chinese character ‘mountain’ (山) on the front, 2 lines of the shape of a deer horn on the back, and, over the top, a wide band fixed on the head. 2. The Chinese letter is in the shape of quadplex with flower blossoms on the end. 3. There is much harmony between the bent jade and golden circle deck. 4. Another decorative element is the golden deck and the golden thread. The two dangling fixings in the form of a leaf is attached to the end of the crown. But when the crown was excavated, they were separated from the wide belt of the crown. Due to other remains that were discovered outside the coffin, this crown has been in controversy, particularly in regards to how it was worn and the proper etiquette regarding when it was worn at the time.

Location