Gilt-bronze Candlesticks with Inlaid Crystal Ornaments

A pair of gilt-bronze candlesticks set with crystal, made in the Unified Silla period, 36.8 cm high and 21.5 cm across the base. Two six-petalled trays are set one above the other on a central stem. The lower tray is carried on six legs shaped like beasts, fixed with flower-shaped rings. From the centre of the upper tray a short stem rises to a semicircular double-petalled cup, with a cylindrical socket for the candle above. The surfaces are carved in relief and incised, and set here and there with crystals, though many are now lost and the gilding has worn away in places. Its findspot is unknown, but its splendour and ornament make it an example of Unified Silla metalwork.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

National Treasure · 국보