Gold Crown from Hwangnam Daechong Tomb
Fifth century
A circlet of sheet gold supports three tree shaped uprights in the centre and two antler shaped branches at the sides, all cut from thin gold and hung with dozens of small gold discs and curved jade beads called gogok. Long pendants dangle from the band on either side of the face. Every disc is attached with a twisted gold wire so that the slightest movement makes the whole crown shimmer and rustle. It is the classic Silla crown, one of only a handful ever found, and the most complete.
The tree and antler shapes are the key to its meaning. They link the Silla kings to the shamanic world of the Eurasian steppe, where trees connected earth and sky and deer were guides between worlds. The curved jade beads may represent fruit, or claws, or the shape of the moon. Look at how the uprights are made of three or four tiers of branches ending in bud shapes, and at the tiny punched dots that outline every edge. The gold is so thin that the crown could not have supported much wear; it was probably made for burial or for rare ceremonies.
The crown was excavated in nineteen seventy three from the north mound of Hwangnam Daechong, the largest tomb in the Gyeongju burial ground, a double mound built for a king and his queen in the fifth century. Surprisingly, this crown was in the north mound, which held a woman, while the king's mound had only a gilt bronze crown. A gold belt with hanging ornaments was found with it and is displayed nearby. Designated National Treasure one hundred and ninety one, the crown anchors the Silla gallery, where you can also see gold earrings, glass vessels from the Mediterranean and pottery figures found in the same tombs.
Did You Know? A silver belt end found in the same tomb is inscribed with the words 'belt for a wife', confirming that the finest gold crown of Silla was buried with a queen.
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