Bronze Artifacts from Daegok-ri, Hwasun

Objects excavated from a Bronze Age grave found on a hill by the Yeongsangang River at Daegok-ri, Hwasun, South Jeolla. Of the bronzes found, three slender bronze daggers, two eight-bell rattles, two twin-bell rattles, a bronze knife, a bronze axe and two fine-line mirrors are designated national treasures. The daggers are edged on both sides, and one has a damaged blade. The thick central ridge differs from dagger to dagger, and they are fairly late among daggers found in Korea. The eight-bell rattles are shaped like eight-pointed stars with a bell at each point; bronze pellets inside sound when they are shaken, and they appear to be ritual instruments for magical or religious ceremonies. The surface of the bells is incised with a bracken pattern. The twin-bell rattles have a bell at each end, again with bronze pellets inside, and were presumably also ritual instruments. The bronze knife is a kind of tool, apparently a carving knife; its base is flat, and the tip of the blade is partly broken. The bronze axe has a blade on one side and a socket on the other for the handle, with shoulders at the socket end; it is short for its width. The mirrors have a glossy patina on their faces but are in good condition, with geometric patterns on the back and two loops for hanging. Varied in kind and outstanding in workmanship, the bronzes from Daegok-ri are a representative assemblage of the Korean Bronze Age and show well the high level metalworking had reached.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Buk-gu, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

National Treasure · 국보