Korean Stone Art Museum

The Korean Stone Art Museum was opened in 2015 with a mission to introduce the aesthetic beauty and cultural values of Korean stone artifacts. It is located at the end of the so called Embassy Road in Seongbuk-dong, a neighbourhood on the hill overlooking Seoul.

At the entrance two stone statues with a mask on welcome visitors.

• Exhibition 1: Tomb Guardians Who Crossed the Sea to Korea

Muninseok is a stone statue of a civil official made to protect tombs. Many of them smuggled out of the country during the Japanese colonial era. In 2001 Mr Chun Shin-Il who had been trying to bring back Korean stone sculptures from Japan succeed in bringing more than seventy sculptures to Korea. The exhibition 1 showcases 47 pieces of the returned sculptures.

• Exhibition 2: A Hill of Prayers Accommodating Many Wishes

Dongja is a boy attendant who serves gods in Taoism, the Buddha in Buddhism, and the buried person in the tomb in Confucianism. In this exhibition visitors are invited to make a wish upon one of Dongja statues.

• Exhibition 3: Village Guardians with Faces of Korean People

Exhibition 3 displays stone works of Beoksu and it was my favorite exhibition in the museum. Beoksu is a totem pole standing at the village entrance. They protect village residents from demons and illnesses. Since Beoksu was closely related to the everyday life of villagers the faces of Beoksu are very expressive and humorous.

• Exhibition 4: Mother’s Love Expressed in Devoted Stitches

Embroidery works were one of the few ways Korean women expressed their aesthetic desires. Therefore, it plays a key role in understanding women’s culture in the past.

• Special Exhibition: Between Abstraction and Visualization

• Stone Garden

The highlight of the museum is an outdoor exhibition garden where numerous statues are placed harmoniously with the surroundings. In addition, the garden offers panoramic city views from Lotte Tower to N Seoul Tower.

Korean Stone Art Museum
Website : http://www.koreanstonemuseum.com/en/
Address : 66, Daesagwan-ro 13-gil, Seoul, 02822, Korea
Operating Hours : 10:00 ~ 18:00, Last entry : 17:00, Closed on Monday
Admission Fee: Adult 7,000 won, Youth 5,000 won, Children 3,000 won
Telephone: 02-986-1001
Public Transportation: Hansung Univ. Station (Subway Line 4), Exit 6 ▶ Bus 02 ▶ Korean Stone Art Museum