Korea (British Museum)

Discover 2,000 years of Korean creativity – through works spanning from around 300 BC to the present day. Featuring outstanding examples of sculpture, painting and decorative arts, the exhibition presents the most comprehensive chronological survey of Korean visual and material culture seen in Europe for over 40 years.

This major exhibition draws almost exclusively from the 23,000 works bequeathed in 2021 by the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee to the National Museum of Korea (NMK) and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA). It offers a dynamic journey through the art and material culture of the last 2,000 years. It also includes many National Treasures or Treasures, objects so designated for their exceptionally high quality and historical significance.

From ancient gold body ornaments and Buddhist icons to 12th- and 13th-century celadon-glazed stoneware, evocative ink landscapes and contemporary works responding to the turbulence of the 20th century, the objects on display tell a panoramic story of the history of Korea. Originally created for settings including royal tombs and palaces, Buddhist temples, scholars' studios, private homes and modern art spaces, most of the objects have never been seen in the UK before.
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Please book your ticket before signing up.

Tickets can be bought here: https://ticketing.britishmuseum.org/korea/25502 (The link should take you directly to 13th October, but do check!) Please book for the 18:20 slot, or if that's gone then 18:10 or 18:30. Tickets are currently £18 (concessions available).

The exhibition is in the room above the Reading Room - the circular structure in the middle of the Great Court. We'll meet from 18:10 on the first landing of the staircase up to the exhibition. After the exhibition we'll head to the Swan pub in Cosmo Place - which does typical pub food, if you haven't yet eaten.