Geumryeongchong Chulto Geumje Heoritti, Gyeongju

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2239

Category

Craft

Era

신라시대(5세기 말~6세기 초)

Designated year

2023

Location

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

Coordinates

37.523500, 126.980100Museum-based location

This English description was machine-translated and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the original Korean text for details.

The 'Gold Belt from Gyeongju Geumllung Tomb' was excavated in 1924 when the Japanese Government-General of Korea conducted excavations at Geumllung Tomb (金鈴塚), a Silla period tumulus. Geumllung Tomb, a characteristic Silla stone-tumulus wooden-chamber burial (積石木槨墳) featuring a rectangular pit with a wooden chamber inside, yielded significant artifacts illustrating Silla burial culture of the era, including a gold crown (Treasure), a ceramic horse-and-rider figurine (National Treasure), and gold bells among numerous important discoveries. The gold belt was discovered inside the wooden coffin, worn at the deceased's waist. Originally combined with leather or fabric, these materials deteriorated over extensive time, leaving only the gold ornaments intact. The gold belt comprises a buckle-type fastener (clasp), belt-decorative plaques (decorative bands), belt-end ornaments, and hanging pendants. The hanging pendants of the Geumllung Tomb gold belt are distinctly shorter than those of gold belts from other Silla tombs. Considering the appearance when worn, this shorter length necessarily relates to the wearer's height, providing important reference material regarding the tomb's deceased. The Geumllung gold belt notably features two pencil-shaped (conical) hanging pendants wrapped in gold thread, appearing nowhere in other Silla tomb gold belt pendants. Moreover, this gold belt displays the most hanging pendants among Silla tomb gold belts with four curved jade ornaments featuring lens-shaped caps filled with glass inlay, an ornamental technique unseen in other Silla tomb jade pendants. This detailed decoration is exceptionally refined and technically sophisticated, displaying comparable style elements to the pencil-shaped pendants with similar aesthetic sophistication. The 'Gold Belt from Gyeongju Geumllung Tomb' possesses clear archaeological provenance with distinctive elements distinguishing it from other belts, allowing examination of belt origins and composition, possessing sufficient scholarly value for preservation.

Location