Dragon's head and wind chime
Gilt bronze Korean dragon finial and wind chime from the 10th century.
This gilt bronze dragon head and wind chime from the 10th century was likely a roof-end tile figure on a Korean Buddhist temple or palace. It belongs to the later Silla or early Goryeo period. The piece has two main parts: an upper finial shaped like a fierce dragon head with closed mouth, horns, ears, and detailed scales, and a lower wind chime. The chime’s circular platform features lotus motifs and a swastika, an ancient Buddhist symbol. A hook at the top and loops under the dragon’s chin suggest it hung from a rafter. Two near-complete examples survive, one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and another at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, the latter being National Treasure No. 781.
Quick Facts
- Medium
- Gilt bronze
- Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- City
- New York
- Accession
- 1999.263a, b
Facts from the source article.
Introduction
The Korean peninsula has a long history of art, with advanced pottery and elaborate jewelry found in ancient tombs. From the 7th to 17th century AD, metal crafting developed, producing fine works such as this rafter finial shaped as a dragon's head and wind chime, a notable metalwork of the Goryeo period. In Korean culture, the dragon is considered a protector of humans and a warder of evil spirits, and this piece displays the fierceness of the creature. The bell, functioning as a punggyeong, originally had a metal-plated clapper inside. A similar dragon's head and wind chime set is at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul.
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