Gold Crown from Cheonmachong
 Gold crown from Cheonmachong tomb | |
| Location | Gyeongju National Museum |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°31′27″N 126°58′49″E / 37.5242°N 126.9803°E |
| Designated | 1978-12-07 |
| Reference no. | 188 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 천마총 금관 |
| Hanja | 天馬塚 金冠 |
| RR | Cheonmachong geumgwan |
| MR | Ch'ŏnmach'ong kŭmgwan |
The Gold Crown from Cheonmachong (Korean: 천마총 금관; Hanja: 天馬塚 金冠) is a crown from the Silla dynasty. It was discovered in Cheonmachong in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea in 1973. It was designated as the 188th National Treasure of South Korea on December 7, 1978.[1] It is considered as one of the finest Silla crowns.[2]
Excavation
The excavation of Cheonmachong took place from April 6 to December 4, 1973.[3] The inner crown and items used for wearing the crown were discovered outside the coffin with other goods.[1]
The owner of Cheonmachong was buried wearing the crown as well as gold earrings, chest ornaments, bracelets, rings, and a belt. This reflects Silla's belief in the afterlife where gold was thought to guide the soul on its journey to the next world.[4] The owner is thought to be King Jijeung or his younger brother.[3]
Description
The front of the crown is decorated with three 山-shaped ornaments while the back features two antler-shaped ornaments.[1] Each 山-shaped ornament consists of four rows with each tip shaped like a flower bud, unlike other crowns that have three rows.[5] The entire crown is adorned with 382 gold pendants and 58 jade ornaments.[6] Two leaf-shaped pendants hang from the lower part of the crown.[1] The tree and antler motifs represent the connection between heaven and earth while the jade symbolizes the origin of life and the pendants represent the fruit of life.[6]
The crown is 32.5 centimeters tall and weighs 1.3 kilograms. It is considered as the largest and most magnificent Silla crown.[7]
It is made from an alloy of gold and silver. Its gold content is 83.5wt%.[8]
In modern Korea
Ahead of APEC South Korea 2025, Gyeongju National Museum held an exhibition that brought together six Silla gold crowns for the first time.[6] During the summit, President Lee Jae Myung gave a replica of the crown to US President Donald Trump as a gift.[9] Kim Taejin, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Protocol Affairs, said that the crown symbolizes "opening of the golden age of the Korea-U.S. alliance".[10]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 "천마총 금관" [Gold Crown from Cheonmachong]. National Heritage Portal (in Korean). Korea Heritage Service. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ "Gold crown, a Symbol of Silla". National Museum of Korea. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- 1 2 "Cheonmachong, the royal tomb of Silla". Gyeongju National Museum. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ Park, Han-sol (2025-10-27). "After 104 years, Silla's crowns reunite in blaze of gold in Gyeongju - The Korea Times". The Korea Times.
- ↑ Kim, Jeong-hee (2025). "樹枝形 신라 금관의 현황과 용도" [A Reconsideration of the Form and Function of Tree-Shaped Silla Gold Crowns]. Prehistory and Ancient History (in Korean): 96. doi:10.23024/pah.2025..79.85.
- 1 2 3 Kim, Hyun-soo (2025-10-23). "All six Silla gold crowns reunited in Gyeongju for first time in historic exhibition". Kyunghyang Shinmun.
- ↑ Lim, Juhyeong (2025-10-29). "[Gyeongju APEC] Cheonmachong Gold Crown Gifted to 'Gold-Loving' Trump... Weighs 1.3kg". The Asia Business Daily.
- ↑ Shin, Yongbi; Yu, Heisun; Yun, Eunyoung (2015). "신라 금관의 성분 조성 분석" [A Scientific Analysis of Gold Crowns in Silla]. Conservation Science in Museum (in Korean): 46. doi:10.22790/conservation.2015.16.0046.
- ↑ Jung-joo, Lee (2025-10-29). "Trump given South Korea's highest honor, Silla gold crown". The Korea Herald (in Korean).
- ↑ Chae, Yun-hwan (2025-10-29). "[APEC 2025] Lee gifts Trump replica of ancient gold crown, awards highest state medal". Yonhap News Agency.