Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom

As I indicated this book is an adjunct to an exhibit shown at an art museum. It is not a traditional history of Silla as I expected. It nonetheless has interesting bits of info but far from the thorough history I was looking for.

With the publication of "Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom," the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has added significantly to the still modest body of English-language scholarship on Korean art. Working with the National Museum of Korea and the Gyeongju National Museum, the Met has mounted an exhibition that focuses on the ancient Silla Dynasty which progressively established dominion over the southern half of the Korean peninsula between 57 BCE and 935 CE. As those familiar with Asian history will appreciate, the latter half of this period also saw the existence of the Tang Dynasty in China, the advancement of the Silk Road linking Europe to Asia, the early spread of Buddhism, and the foundations of Japan's imperial history. These developments either influenced or were themselves influenced by the Silla Kingdom."Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom" opens exactly as one would wish, with a two-page map that stretches all the way from Italy in the west to Korea and Japan in the east, with the Silk Road's land and maritime routes marked in. Introductory material also includes a timeline that correlates early Korean, Chinese, and Japanese historical eras. What follows are seven substantive chapters that begin with a look at the nature of the Silla Kingdom within Korean history. The chapters then consider Silla more broadly, within the context of the steppe and continental cultures that existed to its north and west, foreign trade, and the rise of Buddhism.Every page in these chapters is impeccably researched and written with admirable clarity, as we have come to expect from a Met publication. Last but certainly not least are color photographs of nearly 100 objects, many of them grave goods from the royal mound tombs in Gyeongju and a number important enough to have been designated National Treasures of Korea. These objects, breathtaking in quality and beauty, can be seen at the Met through 23 February 2014.

Korea has a fascinating cultural and artistic heritage that the museum-going-world knows little about. It's about time that a major institution presents a first-rate exhibition on one of their most important formative historic periods, and succeeds in such a magnificent way. The objects chosen for the exhibition are first-rate, and given the miserable survival rate of prime examples due to the wars and conflicts within Korean throughout its history, they are remarkable. Many visitors to the exhibition who have never had the pleasure of visiting the National Museum of Korea and it's various branches in South Korea probably knew little or even imagined the staggering visual and artistic wealth held therein. The organization of the exhibition, also is first-rate. The catalogue for this exhibition, which is this book, is well written, scholarly, but not erudite or scary to the ordinary reader, nor does it talk down to them, rather it presents facts and information in a clear and lucid fashion that is interesting and even innovative in sections. All in all, it is well done.

I was hoping to learn more about Korean history. This book had a lot of information about the pieces. I greatly enjoyed reading it.

I find few people know very little if anything about the culture of Korea. I bought this book for myself and then I purchased this copy for my daughters office to be read by anyone waiting for their appointment. Few to zero of my friends knew the "silk road" extended East and down to the tip of Korea and that there had been trade from Korea to Western China in ancient times. The intricate gold treasures discovered in Korea are truly awesome.

The book is very well written and offers a very comprehensive overview of this unique cultural period. It shows clearly the influences of Asian Neighbors on its art, and the amazing range of this civilization's influence on Japan among others.Korean culture is unfortunately not broadcast enough, and it is time to restore these fascinating stories to the forefront of Asian development.

Whether you are a history buff, or a fan of K-dramas, such as The Great Queen Seondock, this is one of the few histories available that focuses on Korea's Silla kingdom. As one might expect from a Met production, the pictures throughout are lovely and the prose clear and interesting. Highly recommended, but buy it used; few books are worth $50-$60.

Excellent book that accompanied an outstanding exhibit of the same name in the fall of 2014 at the Metropollitan Museum of Art. Outstanding text and photos of art from Korea's Silla (pronounced Shilla) period art, citing not only Chinese influences, but art from the Silk Route's traders. Fascinating.

Too much of the yamos. .where are the jomons and Mongolians! !!