Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Leeum Museum, Seoul

Itaewon in Seoul is much more than just its plethora of restaurants. Follow one of the meandering lanes beyond the busy main street, and the wonderful Leeum Samsung Museum awaits your visit.
In 2004, the Leeum museum opened its branch in the Itaewon/Hannamdong area. It is located in a neighborhood with high-end homes and embassies. In a megacity, such individual homes are rather rare.

Comprised of three buildings, the Leeum Museum has a section for traditional, contemporary art, and another dedicated to youth education. I went to the permanent exhibit, which featured many pieces of traditional Korean art, some dating back to the 5th century. Everything was very well displayed and dual-signposted in Korean and English. Photography was not allowed in the exhibits themselves, but we were able to photograph the architecture.

One floor was dedicated to Buddhist art and metalware. The second floor contained traditional paintings and calligraphy. The upper two floors had ceramics, of both the Celadon and Buncheong styles. Quite a number of pieces were indicated as national treasures. You can see much of the collection on the museum's website.


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