Crown Ornament (Queen)

Baekje · 국보 · 1F · Prehistory and Ancient History · Baekje

This is a crown ornament that adorned the head of a Baekje queen; a pair was found overlapping at the queen's head. It was made by openwork-piercing a thinly hammered gold sheet and joining a gilt-bronze prong. At its center is an inverted lotus pedestal bearing a vase from which a full-blown lotus rises, and the honeysuckle scrolls branching out flare upward like flames before tapering inward. The overall design evokes 'lotus rebirth' (yeonhwa-hwasaeng), the idea of being reborn from a lotus. Analysis shows the gold sheet is about 99% gold, and the two pieces weigh 101.2 g and 103.6 g respectively.

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

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