Glass Cup from Cheonmachong Tomb

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.620

Category

Craft

Era

신라시대(5∼6세기)

Designated year

1978

Location

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

Coordinates

35.829387, 129.227912

This glass cup was found in Cheonmachong Tomb. It is 7.4 cm in height and the diameter of its rim is 7.8cm. Actually, two cups were unearthed but one was irreparably damaged. This glassware is blue and transparent. Remarkably, there are no blowholes and only a part of the rim has turned silver. Overall, it discloses a high level of glass manufacturing skill. The thickness of the glass is not uniform and the rim of the cup is a little rolled to the outside. The overall shape is a U. The bottom of the cup is almost circular and those parts that touch the floor are pushed in irregularly to make it stand up. There are thick vertical lines of different lengths engraved around the surface and under these are irregular circles. This circle pattern is not engraved but seems to have been pressed to its shape before the cup hardened. Glass containers are frequently unearthed from the tombs of Ancient Silla in Gyeongju, and this cup is one of them. Located in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju, Cheonmachong is a tumulus that is hemisphere-shaped. It is 12.7m in height and 47m in diameter. It was excavated in 1973 and was discovered to be a grave made by piling up cobbles along with a pair of stone plates, made between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th century. It was named Cheonmachong (Heavenly Horse Tumulus) because many relics with Cheonma (heavenly horse) painted on them were found.

Location