Silla, Kingdom of Gold

The gold relics in this room were all crafted during the 5th and 6th centuries when the gold culture of Silla was at its height. Silla was recorded in the Chronicles of Japan as the ‘splendid kingdom of gold and silver’.

The gold culture of Silla was complemented by distinguished metal craftsmanship. The golden cap was made of thin and intricately patterned gold plates. It is as delicate as if it had been made by weaving gold threads.

The gold plate ornament on the side was used to accentuate the splendor of the crown or cap. This ornament depicts a butterfly with its wings extended in flight. On the front of the golden cap, there is a hole into which the butterfly-shaped ornament could be attached. Imagine how perfect the crown would have looked adorned with the butterfly ornament!

Can you see the small, glistening gold spangles? These were originally attached to the gold crown. When the King wore the crown, these spangles would have made a dazzling display, shining with the King’s every step.

As we can see, members of the royal family and the nobility of the Silla kingdom loved to use gold items not only during rituals but in their daily lives as well.