Korean collection at Cleveland Museum of Art unveiled in catalogue

By Kwon Mee-yoo

From Goryeo celadon to a rare triad Buddhist sculpture from the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, gems of Korean art in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art can be vicariously viewed in a catalogue compiled by the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (OKCHF).

"The Korean Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art," is the 16th in the OKCH series by the foundation that researches notable collections of Korean cultural artifacts around the globe.

The book features 379 pieces of Korean items in the American museum's collection, surveyed by the OKCHF on three occasions from 2015 to 2016.

"With detailed descriptions of selected objects and essays further illuminating some of the highlights of the collection, the publication provides a comprehensive overview of the museum's holdings of Korean art," the foundation said in a statement.

The Cleveland Museum of Art start collecting Korean art relatively early, through gifts and purchases, in 1915. Now one of the most distinguished collections outside of Korea, the museum has a wide range of Korean art including ceramics, paintings and craftwork.

Notable works in the collection include a 12th century Goryeo celadon piece known as "Celadon Kundika with Inlaid Parrot Design," donated to the museum in 1921 by John Severance, son of Louis Severance, who contributed to the establishment of Korea's first Western-style hospital, Jejungwon ― now Severance Hospital. With three parrots incised into the body, it is a fine example of typical Goryeo-era celadon.

"Hwaeomgyeong (Avatamsaka) Sutra" from the mid-14th-century Goryeo Kingdom is estimated to have been commissioned by the Sagyeongwon, or Royal Office of Sutra Copying. The cover is decorated with illustrations of lotus flowers and the Sudhana and Maitreya Bodhisattva in gold.

The Joseon-era "Amitabha Triad" is from the private collection of Worcester Warner, an engineer who served as a board director of the museum when it developed an interest in Asian art. The early-15th-century triad demonstrates the sculptural and casting accomplishments of the early Joseon era.

"Mountain Market, Clear with Rising Mist" is a 16th-century showcase of Joseon landscape painting. During the OKCHF survey, the painting was found not mounted in the traditional style, and the foundation restored it to the hanging scroll format, as is appropriate for paintings of the era.

An English version of the catalogue is planned for later this year.

The OKCHF conducted research on more than 40,000 pieces of Korean art in overseas collections since 2012 and shared the results in publications. The books are distributed to public libraries and research institutes around the world.

The foundation hopes that "these catalogues will serve as a foundational resource for the study of overseas Korean collections and deepen the public understanding of overseas Korean cultural heritage."