Smithsonian Opens Korea Gallery
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. opened a Korea Gallery, a permanent exhibition of Korean paintings, ceramics and other artifacts, to the public on Friday.
The Korea Gallery features 80 Korean artifacts such as paintings, traditional wedding costumes, calligraphy and ceramics in the 1,800-square-meter space on the second floor of the museum.
The new exhibition serves to highlight Korean history and culture, from the sixth century to the present. The Smithsonian has collected over 4,000 Korean artifacts over 120 years, including a stone knife from the 5th or 6th century B.C. and ceramic pieces that are more than 1,500 years old.
Korea Foundation president Yim Sung-joon said it is significant achievement to have established the Korea Gallery as the first-ever independent exhibition hall at the Smithsonian. He said the establishment of the exhibition is the fruit of the efforts of Korea Foundation and Korean museums to promote Korean culture and history overseas.
Smithsonian Institution acting secretary Christian Samper said the Korea Gallery is the first exhibition hall that introduces Asian culture in the museum.
The Korea Gallery has different themes, such as Korean ceramics, honoring the family, a Korean wedding, hangeul or the Korean writing system, Korea's natural and built landscapes, Koreans overseas and Korea's contemporary visual arts.
For the traditional costumes, the designs of top fashion designer Lee Young-hee are displayed. Exhibit curators asked Lee to donate some of her unique and colorful traditional Korean costumes for the exhibit. She presented 16 hanbok, including wedding costumes, gwanboks or traditional outfits for high-ranking officials and wonsams or formal dresses for women.
According to a Washington Post report last January, the Korea Foundation donated $1.25 million for a 10-year exploration of Korean culture. The foundation seeks to promote greater awareness of Korean culture and history abroad.
Paul Michael Taylor, director of the Smithsonian Museum's Asian Cultural History program, earlier said the exhibition is part of the museum's effort to further examine Asian identities. ``For 5,000 years, Korea was one country. The identity of Korea as a people is quite ancient. Today Korea is a very modern, dynamic place and that new wave gets a lot of dynamism, richness and symbolism from the past,'' he was quoted as saying.
Aside from the Smithsonian, several foreign museums including the British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of the U.S. and Guimet Museum at the Louvre have permanent Korean exhibitions.