Silla’s golden crowns: Korea’s ancient spirit
I was struck by the crowds from across the country who lined up in front of the Gyeongju National Museum during my recent visit, even before it opened for the day, eager to see the Silla gold crowns. Among the highlights is the original crown from the Cheonmachong Tomb — a masterpiece whose replica was recently presented by President Lee Jae Myung to U.S. President Donald Trump at their summit.
Since antiquity, gold has symbolized kingship and immortality. In the Silla era, it shone in crowns, ornaments and belts that conveyed earthly authority and suggested a divine calling.
For the first time in more than a century since the first Silla gold crown was unearthed from the soil, all six crowns discovered in Korea now gleam together beneath one roof. Gyeongju National Museum’s special exhibition, “Silla Gold Crown: Power and Prestige,” commemorates the museum’s 80th anniversary and reflects the spirit carried forward from the 2025 APEC summit.
Unearthed from Hwangnamdaechong (North Mound, 1973), Cheonmachong (1973), Seobongchong (1926), Geumgwanchong (1921), Geumryeongchong (1924) and Gyodong (1972) tombs, these crowns represent the pinnacle of Silla culture. Once dispersed across Seoul, Gyeongju and Cheongju, they now stand together in Gyeongju, their rightful home. Their reunion magnifies their cultural significance, offering a vivid reminder of our ancestors’ identities, artistry and enduring legacy.
The exhibition traces the evolution of royal regalia from the early 5th century Gyodong crown to the early 6th century Cheonmachong crown. Alongside the crowns, 20 exquisite gold artifacts, including seven national treasures such as belts, earrings and rings, reveal the sophistication of Silla craftspeople. Each crown is distinctive — the Geumryeongchong crown, for instance, forgoes the familiar curved jade ornaments for dangling pieces of gold, while the Seobongchong crown reveals an inner cap.
For me, the most inspiring artifact was the Seobongchong crown, unearthed in 1926 by Swedish Crown Prince Gustaf VI Adolf, later King of Sweden. Notably, a silver bowl bearing inscriptions was excavated with the crown. The inscriptions both inside the dish and on the bottom of the bowl suggest that the crown was crafted either in 451 A.D. or in 511 A.D. The crown prince, himself an archaeologist, remarked, “This is better than becoming King,” and some said it showed the “future King of Sweden is more interested in ancient crowns than his own throne."
The crowns and artifacts reveal the Silla elite’s longing to carry their earthly splendor into the next world. Enveloped in gold from head to toe, Silla rulers embodied the belief that royal authority and divine grace could transcend mortality.
Beyond their aesthetic beauty, the Silla crowns stand as profound embodiments of creativity, spirituality and humanity’s enduring pursuit of significance.
Across the five crowns displayed alongside the Gyodong crown, three tree-shaped uprights connect heaven and earth, symbolizing the sacred authority of their wearers. Two antler-like projections extend from each headband, evoking transcendent power, while curved jade ornaments — the hallmarks of Silla craftsmanship — pulse with life and vitality.
Crafted in gold, each crown embodies Silla’s reverence for nature, its faith in the unseen and its belief that power must align with the cosmic order. Their reunion is more than an archaeological gathering; it is a luminous rediscovery of Korea’s ancient spirit, where artistry, symbolism and royal authority converge in a harmony that still speaks across the centuries.
May all six crowns remain in Gyeongju, their original home and rightful place, so the city may preserve the legacy of our ancestors by celebrating their artistry, honoring their spirit and letting their golden brilliance illuminate generations to come.
Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist for The Korea Times. He is a recipient of Sweden’s Royal Order of the Polar Star, one of the nation’s most distinguished honors.