Korea

For over 2,000 years Korea has had a unique history and vibrant culture, frequently absorbing and adapting ideas from elsewhere to produce art and crafts that are distinctively Korean. Across the centuries, down to the present day, artists and craftspeople have taken inspiration from the past, re-creating and reinterpreting forms and meanings in innovative ways. Showcasing an exceptional collection of objects drawn primarily from the collection of the late Samsung Chair, Lee Kun-Hee, this new book presents Korean culture from its ancient roots through to the present day.

Through four key periods – Three Kingdoms/Unified Silla (300 BCE–935 CE), Goryeo (918–1392), Joseon (1392–1897), and modern/contemporary – the authors explore each era’s differences in religion, economy and relations with neighbouring countries, factors that shaped artistic traditions and cultural values.

From early Iron Age ritual bells, through to inlaid lacquerware, landscape paintings, portraits, sculpture, pottery and multimedia contemporary art, this beautifully illustrated new book celebrates the unique history, art and culture of Korea.

Table of Contents

Forewords Introduction
• Introduction (Sang-ah Kim)
• The Lee Kun-Hee Family Collection (Sukyung Lee)
Chapter 1: Wealth and power
• Ancient States to Unified Silla (Sangdeok Yoon)
• Buddhist sculpture from the Three Kingdoms to Unified Silla (Hyung-wook Huh)
• Early pottery and stoneware (Sangmi Lee)
• Gilt-bronze shoes (Young-min Ko)
Chapter 2: Wisdom and Beauty
• The art and culture of Goryeo (Myounghee Jeong)
• The dissemination of Buddhism in Korea (Sem Vermeersch)
• Buddhist sutras and shifts in patronage (Soyeon Shin)
• Goryeo lacquerware (Diego Tamburini)
Chapter 3: Learning and longevity
• Learning and pleasure: Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897) (Sang-ah Kim)
• Confucianism in Joseon society (Anders Karlsson)
• Conflicted realities: Joseon Dynasty within and without (J.P. Park)
• Buncheong ware (Kyung-nam Kang)
• Hangeul and print publishing (Saerom Yu)
• Buddhist art in Joseon (Soo-ran Yoo)
• Chaekgeori paintings (Dayun Oh)
Chapter 4: Individuality and community
• Between Past and Tomorrow (Sooyon Lee with Sang-ah Kim)
• Korean art in the modern age (Kim Youngna)
• Growth and maturation: current scholarship on the art of Korea (Insoo Cho)
• Shin Hakchul (Sooyon Lee)
• Woven Worlds: Self Portrait by Do Ho Suh (Lee Suh)
Epilogue
• The reception and collecting of Korean art outside Korea (Charlotte Horlyck)
Notes, Selected reading, Acknowledgements, Credits, Index