Geumdongyongdutosu

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.781

Category

Craft

Era

통일신라시대

Designated year

1984

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울 용산구 이태원로55길 60-16, 삼성미술관 리움 (한남동)

Coordinates

37.536528, 126.996187

Tosu is an interior ornament that covers the wooden portion of a roof to increase its durability and prevent wear and tear from heavy rain and strong wind. This one is 30.5 cm high and 35.2 cm long. The neck area is cut to a square shape and then a hole is made and a piece of wood inserted. To fix the wood, two nail holes were made on each side of the hole. The whole area had been plated, but most of the plating has come off over years. The eye of dragon is open wide, while its stubby upper teeth stick out over the lower lip. The nose is short and to make the dragon look alive, the pupils are made rather reddish and divided into two parts. The eyebrows sticking out above the eyes are bent backwards at a sharp angle while the tips of eyebrow are dancing in the wind. The two horns rising high from the forehead extend far backwards and roll up like bracken at their tips. Compared to gold-plated dragonheads found in Anapji Pond and another site in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, this piece is inferior in both artistic quality and dynamics. The details of its ornaments are abbreviated and the nose is short and broad, making it look more like the head of a turtle than of a dragon. It can be presumed from the evidence that this was produced from the period between the last days of Unified Silla and the beginning of Goryeo Dynasty.

Location