World Culture Galleries

Gallery of Korea

Level 1, Philosophers’ Walk Wing
The only permanent gallery of Korean art in Canada, this space brings to life the history and culture of Korea through a fine selection of approximately 260 objects. Examples of ceramics, furniture, metalwork, printing technology, painting and decorative arts, dating from the 3rd to 20th centuries AD, demonstrate the nation’s many artistic, scientific and technological accomplishments.

Trace the history of Korean ceramics through stoneware from as early as 57 BC, celadon-glazed stoneware from the Koryo Dynasty (AD 918-1392), and blue-and-white porcelains from the Choson Dynasty (AD 1392-1910). Works by leading modern ceramicists, such as Shin Sang-ho, are also on display.

Korean painting, calligraphy and printing have been highly esteemed throughout history. For scholars and the literati, the mastery of brush and ink was a testament to technical skill and to moral and cultural refinement.

The world's earliest known woodblock text was printed in Korea in the 8th century AD and the Koreans invented the world’s first metal movable type in the early 13th century AD. Artifacts such as block prints, metal and wooden moving type and a book cover illustrate the importance of printing technology in Korean society.

Buddhism, which originated in India, was introduced to Korea during the Three Kingdoms period (37 BC – AD 668) via China and took hold of the royal court and later the general population. The influence of Buddhism on the culture is seen through two statues, a Sarira casket, used for depositing the ashes of a Buddhist monk, as well as a newly acquired tomb guardian.