Royal Seals Multiply in Mirrored Gallery at Conservation Science Exhibition
Creatrip Team
a month ago
At the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul, a special exhibition “RE:BORN: Conservation Science Connecting Time” displays over 60 restored royal and imperial artifacts, including a striking mirrored case of 36 Joseon royal seals (dojang). Made of gold, silver, and jade with ornate designs such as turtle-shaped knobs and dragon motifs, the seals are arranged with mirrors to create an infinite visual effect. The show explains conservation methods with media screens and technical imaging: X‑ray translucency, microscopic analysis, and X‑ray fluorescence reveal materials and repair histories — for example, a gilt seal attributed to Duke Deokjong shows signs of a 1924 re‑creation and a brass core with gold plating. Highlights also include a returned Goryeo mother-of-pearl (najeon) inlaid box detailed by thousands of tiny inlays, and restored imperial jade bead curtains (okjureum) from the Korean Empire. The exhibition runs through Feb. 1 and connects historic objects to modern scientific conservation practices.
