Echoes of a Thousand Years: 'Bangjja Yugi' Metalwork Exhibition
Creatrip Team
6 months ago
The Korea Food Promotion Institute is hosting a special exhibition, “Bangjja Yugi: Raising Flavor and Sound — The Hands of Master Lee Jong-deok,” through April 5 at the EUM Hansik Gallery in Jongno, Seoul. The show (4th in the “Our Tableware” series) highlights the history, eight-step production process, and contemporary uses of bangjja yugi (traditional Korean hammered bronze alloy: copper 78% and tin 22%). It presents functional benefits—antibacterial properties and excellent heat conduction—alongside aesthetic value, displaying traditional tableware, ritual vessels, daily items, and musical instruments. Key zones include a documentary video, the master craftsman’s philosophy, detailed craft demonstrations, modern design works, care instructions, and a hands-on “jajong” (singing bowl used for meditation) experience where visitors can feel the deep, clear resonance produced by thousands of hammerings. The institute says the exhibit honors ancestral scientific wisdom and aesthetics and aims to connect the millennium-old craft to modern life while supporting Jeonbuk’s cultural vision for the 2036 Summer Olympics bid.
