Glass Beads with Inlaid Design from Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju

The glass beads with inlaid design from Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju form a jade-and-glass necklace, 24 cm long, with the inlaid glass bead itself 1.8 cm in diameter, found in the Silla-period King Michu Royal Tomb in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju. The necklace is strung from about eight kinds of beads; while most of these are types frequently found in Silla tombs of the Three Kingdoms period, this is the first time an inlaid glass bead of this kind has been excavated. On the small, round glass bead, sixteen ducks swimming amid floating green waterweed, together with the faces of two people, are finely inlaid in various colours across a tiny surface only 1.8 cm in diameter. Where the glass bead was made is not clear, but the faces differ from those of Korean people. It is a masterpiece, remarkable for its craftsmanship and the beautiful harmony of its colours.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물