Ironware, French costume to highlight national museum in 2017
The anthropomorphic stele from 4000 BC will be displayed at “Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” exhibit (left), and the 18th century French costume from the Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris will be also on display. / Courtesy of National Museum of Korea
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The National Museum of Korea (NMK) revealed its yearly plan, studded with a human-shaped statue from Saudi Arabia dating back 6,000 years, delicate French clothing from the 18th century and treasures from Germany as well as Korean relics from the Iron Age.
NMK director Lee Young-hoon announced six special exhibitions and a themed exhibit scheduled for this year at a press conference at the museum in Yongsan, Seoul, Monday.
Four of the special exhibits feature collections from overseas museums in Saudi Arabia, France, Germany and Russia.
First up is "Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," which will introduce some 450 artifacts from 12 institutions from Saudi Arabia from May 9 to Aug. 27. The traveling exhibit gives a glimpse to the rich cultural tradition of the Middle East, including archaeological finds dating back some 6,000 years.
A French clothing exhibit spotlighting buttons will be held in collaboration with the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris from May 30 to Aug. 15. Some 1,800 costumes, buttons, accessories and paintings will showcase the beauty of French clothing, centering on the humble object that has been holding things together since the 13th century.
A group of museums in Dresden, Germany, will present royal treasures from Sept. 19 to Nov. 12 and the Hermitage Museum in Russia will hold an exhibition centering on French art, in exchange for a Korean porcelain exhibit, from Nov. 19 to April 15, 2018.
"Cultural History of Iron" (tentative title) from Sept. 26 to Nov. 26 will highlight one of the most important elements in the history of Korea.
"There have been minor exhibitions on the establishment of ironware, but this is going to cover the whole history of iron, starting from the first iron made in Korea through the Three Kingdoms era, Goryeo Kingdom, Joseon Kingdom up to now. It will focus on the role iron played in the development of Korea," Lee said.
The "New National Treasure" (tentative title) exhibit from May 13 to July 9 will be held in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) and will introduce national treasures and treasures newly designated in 2014 to 2016 to the public.
"The CHA designates new treasures, but they don't have a function to put them on show. So we will try to let the public know about these new treasures through an exhibit," Lee explained.
Though the NMK has the largest collection of Korean relics, this year's special exhibitions heavily relies on foreign artifacts. Lee said some of the exhibitions are held in exchange for the NMK's overseas exhibits.
"We are preparing for a major exhibit on the Goryeo Kingdom to celebrate the 1,100th anniversary of the its foundation and an exhibition on tigers, which serve as the mascot for the PyeongChang Winter Games, in collaboration with Japan and China," Lee said.
Visit museum.go.kr for more.