The Smile of Silla

[Narration]
The first exhibit in the Silla Art Gallery is ‘the Smile of Silla’. If you look around downtown Gyeongju, you will see this face everywhere. How do you think this small, broken figurine became a famous symbol of Silla?

[Visitor]
Was it made by a famous artist from the Silla kingdom?

[Narration]
Maybe. But there’s no information about who made it, because it is just a common earthen roof tile. It was meant to be a building material, not a piece of art.

[Visitor]
Then it must have come from a very famous building, like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for example.

[Narration]
That is interesting reasoning. However, this roof tile is famous for its face design, rather than for where it came from. Korean traditional roof tiles were usually decorated with lotus patterns, so the face design is very rare.

[Visitor]
I see. In ancient Europe, faces of saints or devils are popular in architectural decoration. But smiling faces are rarely found. How interesting!

[Narration] Look at the face on the roof tile and you will understand why it has received so much attention. The smile of this Silla woman has a pure, natural beauty. Elongated eyes, a round nose and a mysterious demure smile… it can be compared to the smile of Mona Lisa!