Okjeon M4hobun Chulto Gold Earrings, Hapcheon

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2044

Category

Craft

Era

가야 6세기

Designated year

2019

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 용산구 서빙고로 137 (용산동6가, 국립중앙박물관)

Coordinates

37.523500, 126.980100Museum-based location

The pair of gold earrings originating from Tomb M4, Okjeon Tumuli, Hapcheon was excavated by a team from the Gyeongsang National University Museum during a survey conducted between July and October of 1991. The complete set (one for the left ear, the other for the right ear) was found in good condition. Judging from its location, researchers think that they were worn by the deceased at the time of burial. They display a number of features common to earrings from Gaya, including their thin, round ring, bead-shaped ornaments hung at the bottom of the ring which are followed by heart-shaped leaves and gardenia seed-shaped pendants. They appear to be associated with the Gaya artifacts discovered mainly in Hapcheon and Changnyeong. The earrings are particularly noteworthy in that diverse and highly-skilled metal working techniques were used to produce them, including granulation, i.e. attaching gold granules to pendants, filigree, and repoussé. The earrings from Tomb M4, which are thought to date from the early sixth century, are an important vestige of Gaya Culture in Hapcheon. They are a rare example of Gaya earrings made using both repoussé and granulation techniques and thus are a particularly valuable relic from the perspective of art history. As an artifact whose origin is clear and which displays the features of earrings made during the Gaya Period, it is also a valuable material for studies on the metal handicrafts of the Three Kingdoms Period.

Location