Korean Jewelry

6 Pages 1593 Words

Silla, Paekche, and Karak are known as the three kingdoms in the Three Kingdoms period that occurred approximately between the years of 37 B. C. E. and 668 C. E. In coming together in unity, these three kingdoms enjoyed more freedom than they had for many years because of the lack of fighting between their three kingdoms as well as the unified front that they presented to others. Invasions became less frequent from common enemies, namely Japan and China, who would continue to invade and overtake Korea even in the twentieth century.
The Three Kingdoms period was a time of flourishing art and ability. It was a time that Korea began to see more things Chinese mainly because of an invasion of another kind, Buddhism. It was during this time that many Korean people, mainly chungin class artists, began to notice and imitate Chinese art that was beginning to be imported. The chungin class in Korea was known as middle class. Theirs was a small group that consisted of educated laborers such as astronomers, physicians, interpreters and artists. This group was subordinate to the yangban, or nobility.
The yangban’s taste in art differed in that from the chungin class. The chungin preferred a more realistic approach to art whereas the yangban’s taste was for the more dreamlike and fantastic. The chungin also preferred to speak in their native tongue, Hanguk (Korean) whereas the yangban considered it vulgar not to speak in Chinese. All Korean people who could write at this time did so in Chinese because the Korean characters were not “created” until the fifteenth century by King Sejong.
Most secrets of the metal smithing and engraving have remained just that, secrets. There is a lack of written information on most Korean skills because most skilled workers utilized the master-apprentice system of passing information through generations. Whatever we do know about the creating of art during this time comes from the writings of ...