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| Seen above is an ancient gilt relic, thought to be from the eighth century Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). The gold leaf artifact, first discovered in two pieces at Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, respectively, in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in 2016, has bird and flower patterns that are 0.05 millimeters in width. Courtesy of the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
An ancient gilt relic with ultra-precise patterns, presumed to be from the eighth century Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), was made public for the first time on Thursday after it was unearthed in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Silla, in November 2016.
According to the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (GNRICH) and the Cultural Heritage Administration, the gold leaf artifact was initially discovered as two separate pieces that were approximately 20 meters from one another, which made it difficult for archeologists to identify. Following the preservation work, they came to the conclusion that the two pieces form a single artifact.
The institute announced that the gold leaf artifact is about 3.6 centimeters wide, 1.17 centimeters long and 0.04 millimeters in depth with intricately engraved bird and flower patterns.
"The gold leaf artifact embodies the essence of eighth-century Unified Silla Period (668-935) metalwork and is one of the finest examples of metalwork among all artifacts discovered in Korea. It provides a glimpse into the artistry of craftspeople as well as a microscopic view of the elegant metal craftsmanship of the time," an official of the institute said in a statement.
The bird patterns, thought to be Oriental turtle doves, were carved in lines at a thickness of 0.05 millimeters, finer than a human hair (approximately 0.08 millimeters) on both the left and right sides of the gold leaf.
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| Seen above are flower designs that were carved on the center of an eighth-century gold leaf artifact, which was made public at the National Palace Museum, Thursday. Courtesy of Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage |
The flower designs, known as "danhwa" (a design reminiscent of a flower viewed from above, created by arranging various patterns into circular shapes), were carved around the birds and on the center of the gold leaf.
Researchers who took part in the excavation and conservation process explained that danhwa is a binding motif of the Unified Silla Period. "It is seen on decorations of gilt-bronze Buddhist scripture cylinders at the Garden Site in Guhwang-dong, Gyeongju, and the gilt-bronze phoenix decorations found at the temple ruins on the west side of the Hwangnyong Temple Site," they explained.
The function of the gold leaf still remains a mystery, but the shape of the artifact suggests that it was the end piece of an unknown object with a trapezoidal cross section. Some argue that its intricate design, which is too small to see with the naked eye, serves purely as decorative elements and may have functioned as a dedication to gods. Researchers said they will conduct further research on its function.
The relic will be unveiled at "The Blooming Flowers and Birds on 3 centimeter Gold Leaf" exhibition, which will run at Cheonjongo, the Excavated Relics Storage Building of Gyeongju National Research Institute of Culture Heritage, until Oct. 31. The exhibit is also available online on the institute's website.
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