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The Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje was designated as the 287th National Treasure of Korea on May 30, 1996. Currently housed at the Buyeo National Museum, it was originally excavated at an ancient temple site in Neungsan-ri, Buyeo County in Chungcheongnam-do in 1993. The incense burner was the largest find among the 450 artifacts excavated. The Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje is a symbol of the artistry of the Baekje people and a masterpiece of Korean art. The incense burner measures 64 centimeters in height, the body is 19 centimeters in diameter, and weighs 11.8 kilograms. It was probably made in the 6th century. ==History== "One of the crowning excavation achievements in the past century, the Baekje Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner, gave a critical turning point to the studies in the Baekje Dynasty history. The Burner embraces the mind of the Baekje people who delicately chased their ideal world with exquisite techniques and high appreciative eyes. The Incense Burner of this kind has not been found anywhere in the world since then. It is no wonder that it can be really called a masterpiece", according to the Culture and Tourism website published by Chungcheongnam-do. It had been widely believed the Baekje incense burner might have been copied from the Baksan (Hangul: 박산 향로, Hanja: 博山香爐) burners of Han Dynasty until recently when a Korean research team comprising historians and archaeologists made a great discovery that it differed from the ancient Chinese prototypes in its structure and designs, particularly in view of its five musicians in relief, which did not constitute the ornamental design element of the Han dynasty incense burners. In addition, one musical instrument in relief gave another clue to the study. The musical instrument called 'Wanham' (Hangul: 완함, Hanja: 阮咸) was first introduced to the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century after the Baekje kingdom disappeared into oblivion. The musical instrument came to be widely popular later in the 8th century, during the Tang Dynasty, according to the New Book of Tang (Traditional Chinese: 新唐書, which also showed the name of the instrument 'Wanham', named eponymically after a then-prominent artist of the Tang period about a century later than when the Baekje incense burner was made. The 'Wanham' originated from Kucha, where in the Kizil Caves the earliest form of this musical instrument can still be seen. The Baekje burner uses realism and is three-dimensional. The incense burner incorporates Buddhist and Taoist themes but some theorize that the burner symbolizes themes of Northeast Asian culture. The dragon and phoenix suggest a yin and yang motif, and because it was excavated from what was probably a Buddhist temple, this theory has some weight. However, the uniqueness of the artifact suggests that the burner may have been used for ancestral rites or other unique ceremonies. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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