Crown of Silla, the Sense of Glamour

We now will see the most splendid exhibit of the museum. Buddhism and gold are perhaps the two most representative features of the Silla culture. This room shows gold relics dating from the heyday of the Silla kingdom.

The luxurious gold crown dominates the room. As a powerful kingdom, Silla produced many gold crowns. This crown is regarded as the greatest work of Silla art because it was made of the thickest gold plate and embellished with numerous luxurious ornaments.
The Gold Crowns of Silla were shaped like branches, just like the laurel wreaths of Roman emperors, but the decorative symbolism was different. While the laurel wreath is a symbol of victory and glory, the upward-reaching tree motif of this gold crown symbolizes divinity. The round, gold ornaments represent leaves, and the crescent-shaped jade ornaments signify fruit. As such, these ornaments represent Silla’s desire for prosperity and perpetuation.

Silla produced many of these kinds of luxurious gold ornaments. The kingdom was often referred to as the ‘Gold Nation’ because, in addition to the crowns, Silla craftsmen also produced many gold accessories, belts, necklaces and earrings. The amount of gold excavated from the tombs of Gyeongju, the capital of Silla, is impressive, even by international standards.