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A little bit of Seoul

From Korea, a rare exhibition of national art treasures
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By Tony Ozuna
For The Prague Post
August 15th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
The beauty is in the details of these remarkable relics, made using production techniques far ahead of their time.
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Art of Korea

at Zbraslav Chateau (National Gallery's Collection of Asian Art) Ends May 17, 2009. Bartoňova 2, Prague 5–Zbraslav. Open Tues.–Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Korea is an unsung hero in the arts due to its unfortunate political history. Even today it is overshadowed by Japan and China, although some of its pioneering masterpieces, especially in ceramics, predate some of the most notable Japanese and Chinese works of art.
More than 70 artifacts from the National Museum of Korea in Seoul have been loaned to the Czech National Gallery for a long-term exhibition at Zbraslav Chateau, the home of its Collection of Non-European Art. This is the first-ever presentation of these relics abroad.
The National Museum of Korea opened only in October 2005, after eight years of construction. It houses 150,000 artifacts. Prior to that, there was no national institution dedicated solely to the rich and vast history of Korean art. Because of this, Korea’s important role in the history of Asian art has been underestimated, especially in the West.
In 1894–95, China and Japan fought for control over Korea on the peninsula, and the result of this First Sino-Japanese War was that much of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed. Korea stayed independent, but only until the end of the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05), when Russia and Japan fought over the peninsula. After Japan’s victory, Korea became its protectorate; in 1910, it was annexed by Japan.
It was during this period, in 1908, that the National Museum of Korea was established by Sunjong, the last emperor of Korea. However, after the annexation, Koreans had to endure a Japanese assimilation program that lasted 35 years. During this time Korean art was not allowed to be displayed, and the national collection was constantly moved.
After World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel by the United States and the Soviet Union. The country was devastated once again in the Korean War (1950–53), when the Communist North invaded the South.
Though the Cold War has ended, Korea remains divided. Thus, for most of the 20th century it was not possible for Korean art to be appreciated at home. And it only gained exposure abroad in the late 1950s, when an exhibit was shown in major cities in the United States, then moved on to Western Europe in the early 1960s.
To this day, museums around the world have very few pieces of Korean art in their collections. Prague’s National Gallery is no exception, with only 15 pieces (paintings acquired in the 1950s), although it has thousands of objects in total from Japan and China, southeast Asia, India and other countries of the region.
In the anteroom of the current exhibition, there is a special installation, “Korean Ceramics — Please Touch Exhibition,” which lasts only through October. The five tactile ceramics are contemporary works, though created in the style of some of the relics on display. There are also seven ink drawings on paper (classic hanging scrolls) from the early 20th century.
In the first room are jars and vessels, weathered to perfection, from as early as the Proto-Three Kingdoms period (first century BC–300 AD). There are also objects from the second and third centuries that are intricately designed and singular in their detailing.
Each of the selections through the centuries is noteworthy, but the 12th-century works from the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392, considered Korea’s Age of Enlightenment) are standouts. In particular, the elegant celadon-glazed ware is unmatched in its period. The more rustic-looking pieces, or buncheong, from the 15th century (Joseon Dynasty, 1392–1910), are a result of a Japanese invasion that destroyed the facilities (and know-how) that had produced more refined works. Later cobalt and white porcelain pieces, stunning in their delicate simplicity, represent the finest ceramic treasures from the end of that long-running dynasty. The pure-white porcelain pieces were made by Confucians who held firm in their philosophy of creating noble, clean ceramics. They are sublime in their simplicity.
Overall, the ceramics selected for this exhibit reveal unmatched production techniques. According to the catalog, Korean masters were even sent to Japan to establish ceramics production centers that are world-renowned to this day.
The second room consists of miscellaneous works, including Bronze Age earthenware vases, urns and vessels for making fire from the sixth century BC, along with 10th-century wooden sculptures of Buddha and a centerpiece 11th-century Buddhist temple bell. There are also decorative ornaments, or norigae, and metal works from the 19th century, along with a large 19th-century painting of Buddhist deities from the Czech collection.
This two-year loan exhibit is not likely to be seen anywhere else in Europe or in Prague again. So take this opportunity to sample a selection of some of the finest works of Korean art, straight from the source.

Tony Ozuna can be reached at features@praguepost.com


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