National Naju Cultural Heritage Research Institute Publishes Treasure Designation Commemorative Catalog 'Sinsun Do Haneul Na??sya'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Cultural Heritage Administration’s National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, National Naju Cultural Heritage Research Institute, is publishing a catalog titled ‘Becoming an Immortal, Sky Naju’ to commemorate the designation of the gilt-bronze shoes excavated from the Naju Jeongchon Tomb as a national treasure. The catalog includes various patterns engraved on the gilt-bronze shoes.

In the Baekje region of the Three Kingdoms period, a total of 22 gilt-bronze shoes have been confirmed so far. Among them, the gilt-bronze shoes from the Naju Jeongchon Tomb, made in the late 5th century, are highly artistic and well-preserved, and were designated as a national treasure on April 26 last year.

The instep of the gilt-bronze shoes is adorned with a dragon head decoration, resembling a dragon ascending to the heavens, which cannot be found on other shoes. On the left and right side panels of the shoes, various imaginary animals are depicted in two horizontal rows. These include a dragon, phoenix, Ilshinyangdu (一身兩頭) ? a creature with one long body and two heads, Inmyeonjoshin (人面鳥神) ? a bird with a human face, Suduojoshin (獸頭鳥神) ? a bird with an animal’s head, a bird with spread wings, flame patterns (Hwaryeonmun, 火焰文), and on the sole panel, a beast-like creature with two ears and feet, as well as lotus patterns.

In particular, the Ilshinyangdu pattern is unique to the gilt-bronze shoes from the Jeongchon Tomb and symbolizes the earth deity, a female symbol. Furthermore, analysis of the skeletal remains found with the shoes revealed that the owner was a woman in her 40s, indicating that women held a very high social status during the Three Kingdoms period. The newly published catalog focuses on detailed introductions of the various patterns on the shoes and interpretations of the form and motifs of the gilt-bronze shoes excavated from the Naju Jeongchon Tomb.

The ‘Becoming an Immortal, Sky Naju’ catalog includes both Korean and English descriptions for overseas promotion. From the 23rd to the 31st, applications can be downloaded from the National Naju Cultural Heritage Research Institute website and submitted via email. The catalog will be sent free of charge to the first 100 applicants on a first-come, first-served basis, and the catalog content can also be downloaded as a file from the website.