Korean Stone Art Museum

As one of the most durable materials available, stone has long been used throughout the cultural history of mankind. To this day, numerous stone works have been preserved in excellent condition all over the world. Korean stone artifacts that began with our ancient ancestors can also be seen today.From the dolmens of the Bronze Age to Seokguram Grotto, the glorious Buddhist relics of the United Silla Era, the Octagonal Nine-story Stone Pagoda of Woljeongsa Temple of the Goryeo Dynasty, the stone figures placed in graveyards, and the construction of royal palaces during the Joseon Dynasty, stone works held a central position in the field of arts and crafts. Our ancestors' wisdom and their philosophy of life are engraved in these stone sculptures, which were loved and appreciated by everyone from ordinary citizens to members of the royal family.

Muninseok is a human-shaped stone sculpture made to protect tombs against evil spirits, along with other animal-shaped stone sculptures. Unfortunately, a large number of Muninseok were smuggled out to Japan during the Japanese colonial period. Chairman Chun Shin-Il of Sejoong corporation aspired to bring back to Korea these long-lost cultural assets, which by then were scattered all over the world, and regain Korea's national pride. In 2000, after hearing about Mr. Kusaka Mamoru, a Japanese citizen who owned hundreds of ancient Korean stone sculptures, Chairman Chun made numerous visits to Japan to persuade Mr. Kusaka Mamoru to cede the lost Korean assets. In 2001, Chairman Chun's tenacity succeeded in bringing about the return of more than seventy precious Korean stone sculptures to Korea. The returned sculptures attest to the power and dignity of Korean stone arts. 

Dongja is a child attendant while Dongjaseok is a stone figure of dongja. Found in and around Seoul, these sculptures were placed before the graves of high-ranking government officials or members of the royal family, except for kings and queens, during the 16th-18th centuries. Wearing plain clothes and double-knot hairdos, they stand obediently and submissively in front of the graves, lending an appearance of vitality to the solemn atmosphere of the graveyard. Dongja were deemed to serve various gods in Taoism, the Buddha in Buddhism, and the occupants of the graves in Confucianism. Therefore, the shape and role of dongja vary from grave guardian to village guardian depending on the religion.

The Flower Sermon - "Wordless Enlightenment" One day, Buddha was sitting on his teaching chair surrounded by his disciples. However, instead of giving the usual lecture, Buddha just held up a lotus flower, without uttering a single word. No one in the audience understood the Flower Sermon except Mahakashyapa, who smiled. Then, Buddha said, “I possess the true Dharma eye, the marvelous mind of Nirvana, the true form of the formless, and the subtle Dharma Gate that does not rely on words or letters but is a special transmission outside the scriptures. This, I entrust to Mahakashyapa."

Embroidery work has long been a way for Korean women to express their intricate artistic sensibility and cultivate beauty in their daily lives. As embroidery was a basic skill that Korean woman had to learn, the skill was handed down naturally from mother to daughter. While weaving and sewing, women would pray for the happiness of their families. Embroidery was widely used in all classes of Korean society from the royal family and aristocracy to the commoners. Thus, the history of embroidery plays an important role in understanding the lifestyle of Korean women in the past, and embroidery is the fruit of traditional feminine culture.