Bronze Implement with Bird Design

Early Iron Age · 1F · Prehistory and Ancient History · Gojoseon · Buyeo · Samhan

This bronze object decorated with bird motifs was excavated from a wooden-coffin tomb at Sudong in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province. Its top edge forms a fan-like curve, and at the center are a mountain-shaped (山) motif and two birds arranged one above the other, with the sun and moon set symmetrically to either side. The decoration centers mainly on subjects related to agricultural ritual, such as birds, the sun, and ferns. Although the tomb is small, a locally made bronze mirror and glass beads found with it suggest that its occupant was a person who performed rituals; the mirror points to a date around the second century CE, but given that the object was used in ritual, its actual production may be somewhat earlier.

See it in person at the National Museum of Korea — 1F · Prehistory and Ancient History · Gojoseon · Buyeo · Samhan

Source: based on official e-museum records (National Museum of Korea).