King Muryeong and His Queen’s Gilt-bronze Shoes

[Narration]
These are the king’s shoes.

[Tourist]
Baekje people must have been very tall. What big shoes!

[Narration]
These shoes were not for practical wear, but for use after the king’s demise. They were originally highly decorated, and beautifully adorned with lotus patterns and phoenixes. The shoes also featured twisted, bronze thread detail.

[Tourist]
But the material the shoes are made from is hard and sharp. They must have been very uncomfortable to wear, even in the afterlife.

[Narration]
Actually, the shoes were lined with tree bark so that the king’s feet would not have been in direct contact with the metal.

[Tourist]
I see. But why do these shoes have spikes like soccer boots?

[Narration]
They were only to decorate the shoes. Warriors featured in the murals of Goguryeo were depicted wearing a similar kind of spiked footwear. It is assumed that they were designed to prevent the approach of enemy soldiers on the battlefield. Such thick spikes must have looked quite intimidating. In the case of the king’s shoes, the nails might have been thought to repel evil spirits after the king’s death.

If you move to the right, you will see the Queen’s shoes, which look similar to those of the King.