Over 1,100 Owl Craft Items Symbolizing Wealth and Luck Unveiled
Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Park Woo-ryang) announced on the 31st that a special exhibition titled "Owl Storage" will be held until March 30 at the Bird Craft Museum located on Heuksando, an international migratory bird stopover site.
Heuksando, Shinan, located at the southwesternmost tip of the Korean Peninsula, is a major migratory route for birds. Various migratory birds can be observed during spring and autumn, and it serves as an important resting place for birds to replenish their energy during migration. Among the approximately 600 species recorded in Korea, about 420 species?the largest number domestically?are observed in the Heuksando area, making it a key hub for migratory birds.
The Heuksando New Craft Museum is holding a special exhibition titled "Owl Storage" until March 30. [Photo by Sinan-gun]
Shinan-gun opened the Bird Craft Museum in August 2021 to preserve migratory birds and their habitats that travel between countries and to discover various bird-related attractions to revitalize the local economy.
This special exhibition, titled "Owl Storage," features the owl, a bird familiar to people. Traditionally, owls symbolize wealth and good fortune. Due to their habit of gathering and storing prey indiscriminately, they are believed to bring an endless flow of wealth and luck, like a magic pot. In Korea, owl-related ornaments are often gifted to acquaintances as tokens of good fortune.
Because of this owl behavior, the terms "Owl Household" and "Owl Storage" are used with positive connotations. The exhibition displays a total of 83 owl craft items, including 70 pieces collected from 20 countries such as the United States, Canada, Croatia, and T?rkiye, as well as 13 domestic ceramic crafts, until March 30.
The crafts exhibited at the Bird Craft Museum have been collected directly by Shinan-gun office staff from domestic and international sources over the past decade. Currently, the museum holds over 1,100 craft items from 27 countries.
Among these, about 500 pieces with artistic value and stories are selected for display. Additionally, the Bird Sculpture Park outside the museum features over 100 Shona sculptures from Zimbabwe, Africa, harmoniously integrated with natural rocks and wildflowers, enhancing the viewing experience.
Governor Park Woo-ryang said, "The Bird Craft Museum, created through the interest and efforts of many staff members over the past 10 years, has now become a representative local attraction. Through this special exhibition, we hope to promote the Bird Craft Museum and wish that all visitors receive the energy of the owl and share happiness and good fortune."
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