National Museum of Korea Investigation Report on the Seated Avalokiteshvara
Curators and conservators at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul have recently conducted extensive research on this Buddhist image from the Goryeo dynasty. A preliminary investigation in 2008 revealed hidden dedication materials that were inserted into the sculpture centuries ago. A second, more comprehensive study in 2013 and 2014 removed the materials for examination. The National Museum of Korea published their research findings in Korean in 2014. Curators at the Freer and Sackler, with the assistance of colleagues in Seoul, produced an English-language version of the report.
Goryeo Buddhist Painting online catalogue
Korean religious paintings made during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries feature the same deities seen in Goryeo Buddhist sculpture. Commissioned by aristocrats and members of the Goryeo royal court, these highly detailed paintings were enlivened with ink, rich mineral pigments, and gold. Few survive today due to their fragility. Only sixteen of these exquisite works are in museum collections in the United States. The online catalogue Goryeo Buddhist Paintings: A Closer Look brings these sixteen paintings together for in-depth comparison complemented by informative text in English and Korean.
This online catalogue was sponsored by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea.
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