A stone lantern flanked by twin lions that has spent more than 70 years away from its original home is returning to Yeoju.
The National Museum of Korea said on the 9th that it has begun preparations to move the Twin Lion Stone Lantern from the Godalsa Temple Site in Yeoju, a designated Treasure now displayed in the museum's outdoor garden, back to the temple site in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.
The museum said it reached the decision after an extended review and consultations with the Korea Heritage Service, the city of Yeoju and other agencies, returning to its original location a work that had been one of the museum's signature outdoor exhibits and a favorite among visitors. Conservation treatment is under way at the museum's conservation science department, it added, and the transfer will proceed after academic research on the treatment and analysis is completed and a comprehensive report is published.
The lantern is believed to date to the early Goryeo period, around the 10th century. While lions on most Korean twin-lion stone lanterns are shown standing, the lions on this piece are crouched in a seated posture, a distinctive feature that highlights Goryeo's inventive sense of form. It was designated a Treasure in 1963.
The lantern was found toppled at the Godalsa site and kept by local residents before being moved in 1958 to the grounds of a wedding hall in Seoul's Jongno district. In 1959 it was placed in front of Gyeonghoeru Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung Palace, and in 2003 it was transferred to the National Museum of Korea, where it has been held since.
According to the museum, relocating a stone cultural heritage object to its original site requires that several conditions be met: the excavation site must be certain and the original location designated and managed as a state-designated Historic Site; the managing body must be clearly identified as the central or a local government; safety in display and management must be assured; and the object must be moved in its original form in keeping with its intended use and function.
On that basis, the museum determined that the lantern can be safely opened to the public and managed because the Godalsa Temple Site, its original location, is designated as a Historic Site. Yeoju will manage the piece after the move. The specific timing of the transfer will be decided in consultation with the relevant agencies, taking into account the conservation work and the publication of the comprehensive report.
Yoo Hong-june, director general of the National Museum of Korea, said the transfer is a meaningful step in restoring the context of a cultural heritage object, but also means it will leave the protection and management of the museum and face varied environmental changes at the site. "After the transfer of management, I ask the Korea Heritage Service and the city of Yeoju to take every measure to conserve and manage the stone lantern," he said.
