Ornament with Heron and Turtle Design
Unknown Artist
1100s
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
3.4 × 2.5 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
Accession Number
1917.1044.1
About this artwork
Metalworking techniques advanced remarkably during the Goryeo period (918–1392). Sophisticated metal objects with intricate designs were used not only as daily accessories, but also as burial goods for commemorating the dead. Traces of fibers found on the backs of these metal ornaments suggest that they were once used as brooches to hold garments together.