Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art

Detail from The Birth of the Buddha in Lumbini, from the series Eight Great Events in the Life of Shakyamuni Buddha (late 18th century) by Bihyeon and other monk painters. National Museum of Korea, Seoul

As chairman of Samsung, Lee Kun-hee transformed the company into an international powerhouse, led South Korea’s successful bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and amassed a fortune worth some £16bn at the time of his death in 2020 – which allowed him to build up the most comprehensive private collection of Korean art in the world. In 2021, to help settle the massive inheritance tax bill, his family donated some 23,000 objects to the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea – a collection so rich and varied it spawned 17 catalogues and took years to digitise. Some 140 items made their way to the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., last year and are now on display at the Art Institute of Chicago (7 March–5 July). Highlights include religious artefacts dating to two millennia ago and detailed, colourful mythological scenes painted for members of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910).

Find out more from the AIC’s website.
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Bodhisattva triad with a single halo (6th century), maker unknown. National Museum of Korea, Seoul
The Birth of the Buddha in Lumbini, from the series Eight Great Events in the Life of Shakyamuni Buddha (late 18th century) by Bihyeon and other monk painters. National Museum of Korea, Seoul
Toad-shaped water dropper (19th century), Joseon-dynasty maker. National Museum of Korea, Seoul