The Korean Collection comprises burial gold of the Three Kingdoms period, assembled by a private American collector and now offered for institutional or private placement. Its heart is a group of Silla royal goldwork of exceptional rarity, accompanied by Baekje material and a later Goryeo devotional object.
The Silla kingdom, centered at Gyeongju in the southeastern Korean peninsula, produced some of the most technically accomplished goldwork in the ancient world. Characteristic forms — the towering crown with its upright tree and antler branches hung with spangles and jade, the cascading suhasik pendants, the heavy earrings with their granulated body rings, the linked belt with its pendant ornaments and fittings — were reserved for the highest stratum of Silla society and placed with the dead in the great tumulus tombs of the Maripgan period. The collection includes two distinct gold crowns, a ceremonial belt, earrings of outstanding granulation work, a necklace with an exceptional concentration of carnelian goguk, and a group of crown ornaments of the winged form associated with the Cheonmachong and related tombs. Comparable objects are among the designated National Treasures and Treasures of the Republic of Korea, and are held by the Gyeongju National Museum and the National Museum of Korea.
The Baekje material — a pair of gold crown ornaments of the flowering tree type — represents a tradition distinct from Silla in form and sensibility, though closely related in its ritual function. The Goryeo prayer box, worked in repoussé, closes the collection chronologically while extending its devotional and iconographic range.
Key objects have been scientifically examined and authenticated. Complete documentation is available to qualified parties. This collection has been made available to the government of the Republic of Korea; inquiries from other institutions and private collectors are welcomed on equal terms.