Silver Cup from the North Mound of Hwangnamdaechong Tomb

The silver cup from the North Mound of Hwangnamdaechong Tomb was found at Hwangnamdaechong Tomb, a Silla tomb of the Three Kingdoms period located in the King Michu Tomb area of Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju. Hwangnamdaechong Tomb consists of two mounds joined north and south in a gourd shape. This silver cup is a Silla-style drinking vessel found in the tomb's north mound. It is 3.5 cm high and 7 cm in diameter at the mouth, with a flat bottom, and the decorative pattern on its surface is highly distinctive. A narrow band encircles the rim, below which lotus flowers are densely arranged in overlapping rows, and beneath that a continuous tortoise-shell pattern is rendered in double lines. Within each tortoise-shell cell, various imaginary animal figures are worked in repoussé (hammered relief). At the centre of the interior base, a phoenix is set within a floral design. This style of decoration and these animal figures can also be found on the ornamental shoes excavated from Singnichong Tomb in Gyeongju, suggesting exchange with foreign cultures at the time. The pattern itself is related to bronze mirrors of Han-dynasty China, though its exact origin remains unclear.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물