Guimet Museum Hosts First European Exhibition of Ancient Korean Treasures

The Musée Guimet in Paris is presenting 'Silla: l'Or et le Sacré, Trésors royaux de Corée (57 av. J.-C.-935)', the first European exhibition dedicated to the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla. The show, organized in partnership with the National Museum of Gyeongju, features over 100 artifacts including gold crowns, jade ornaments, and stoneware from the Silla period, which lasted from 57 BC to 935 AD. Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, eventually unified the peninsula and established a powerful state in the southeast. The exhibition highlights the kingdom's cultural splendor, particularly during the 'maripgan' period (4th-6th centuries) when the Kim clan used gold as a symbol of power. Artifacts excavated from royal tombs reveal intricate craftsmanship, with materials like iron, gold, silver, glass, and stone. The show also traces the spread of precious materials to Buddhist monasteries and pagodas after the 7th century. The exhibition runs through the summer at the Musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, located at 6 place d'Iéna, Paris. It was featured in the July 2026 double issue of Beaux Arts Magazine.