[National Treasure] The gold earrings of Baekje’s King Muryeong

Name: Gold Earrings of King Muryeong
Period: Baekje
Location: Gongju, South Chungcheong
Status: National Treasure No. 156

This pair of gold earrings was excavated from the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong in Gongju.

They were discovered on the head of the King’s wooden coffin.

Two long ornaments hang from a thick ring.

One strip has a big leaf-shaped gold plate that is attached to the end of a hollow tube-shaped middle ornament.

This tube-shaped ornament is very simply designed without any patterns on it, except the two small oval leaves in the front and rear sides for a variation to the design.

When observed from the side, it seems to be curved inward.

The tube-shaped middle ornament has a stopper decorated with golden strings and beads.

The leaf-shaped ornaments are placed around the middle ornament to face each other.

The other strip has a bead-shaped ornament composed of several small rings with leaf-shaped ornaments attached to it.

A blue curved jade with a well-matched golden cap is at the end of the strip.

This type of earring with two strips was also excavated from the Geumnyeong Cemetery, tomb of one of the Silla Kings, in the city of Gyeongju.