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Source Description
Celadons, spoons, seals, and bronze mirrors were the most common burial objects in tombs during the Goryeo period (918–1392). Furnishing tombs with an elaborate assemblage of objects was believed to honor and comfort the newly dead. Generally, Goryeo tombs were left untouched until the late 19th century. During the colonial period (1910–45), however, Japanese archaeologists hastily excavated the tombs located in Kaeseong, the former capital of the Goryeo period. Scholars recently have proposed that toward the end of the 14th century, Koreans enjoyed meat-based soups more than any other dishes, explaining why many more spoons than chopsticks were buried in tombs.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
97700
label
Spoon
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
97700
contentType
object
title
Spoon
description
Celadons, spoons, seals, and bronze mirrors were the most common burial objects in tombs during the Goryeo period (918–1392). Furnishing tombs with an elaborate assemblage of objects was believed to honor and comfort the newly dead. Generally, Goryeo tombs were left untouched until the late 19th century. During the colonial period (1910–45), however, Japanese archaeologists hastily excavated the tombs located in Kaeseong, the former capital of the Goryeo period. Scholars recently have proposed that toward the end of the 14th century, Koreans enjoyed meat-based soups more than any other dishes, explaining why many more spoons than chopsticks were buried in tombs.
date
918–1392
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79482348
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 25.6 cm (10 1/16 in.)
cul
Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
accession
1917.342
Source extras
tec
silver bronze
tombstone
Spoon (은동 수저 [銀銅匙]), 918–1392. Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Silver bronze; overall: 25.6 cm (10 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, General Income Fund, 1917.342
titleInOriginalLanguage
은동 수저 [銀銅匙]
collection
Korean Art
didYouKnow
Bronze spoons are the most common burial item. Scholars have proposed that toward the end of the 14th century, Koreans enjoyed meat-based soups more than any other dishes, explaining why spoons became common household items as well as burial goods.
citations
citation
L. W. "Korean Bronze Spoons of the Korai Dynasty." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 4, no. 6 (1917): 99-101.
page_number
Reproduced: Front Matter; Mentioned: pp. 99-101
citation
<em>Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392</em>. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003.
citation
Yun, Seong-jae. “The Special Meanings of Spoons and Chopsticks in the Goryeo Dynasty [고려시대 분묘출토 청동수저].” <em>Yeoksa wa silhak</em> (2015): 51-68.
citation
<em>Bronze in Life and Art</em> [삶과 예술 속. 청동 靑銅 이야기] National Cheongju Museum (2016).
citation
Jeong, Eui-do. Changes of Spoons during the Late Goryeo Period [고려후기 숟가락의 변화].” <em>Hanguk jungse gogohak</em> (2017): 139-157.
citation
<em>Goryeo: The Glory of Korea </em>[대고려, 그 찬란한 도전]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2018.
citation
Horlyck, Charlotte. "The Eternal Link: Grave Goods of the Koryŏ Kingdom (918-1392 CE)." <em>Ars Orientalis</em>, no. 44 (2014): 156-79.
citation
Ch'a, Mi-rae, Kwi-suk An, Cleveland Museum of Art, and 국외소재문화재재단. <em>The Korean Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Edited by An Min-hŭi. First edition, English ed. Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Series, 16. Seoul, Republic of Korea: Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, 2021.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 103
creditline
General Income Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:15:57.213000
sourceId
97700
dept
Korean Art
coll
Korean Art
med
silver bronze
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
d40ca6994acbb2e6