Woman’s ceremonial crown with floral decoration, early 21st century, Korea. © National Museum of Korea

DRESDEN.- The exhibition “100 Ideas of Happiness. Art Treasures from Korea” opened on 15 March 2025, welcoming visitors to a fascinating journey through the country's rich cultural history.

For the first time in over 25 years precious exhibits that give an overview of Korean art and cultural history are on display in Germany. The exhibition takes place thanks to a cooperation with the National Museum of Korea, which is supported by the Korea Foundation.

Embedded in the baroque Paraderäume (Royal State Apartments) and the Neues Grünes Gewölbe (New Green Vault) of the Dresden Residenzschloss (Royal Palace), the show opens up an exciting dialogue between cultures. The central theme is the timeless question of the various ideas of happiness, including the desire for eternal life, peace in this world and the next, inner strength or pure joie de vivre, which are expressed in the artworks through the use of colours, symbols and the choice of subject matter.

On display are around 180 outstanding individual objects and groups of objects, including valuable grave goods, precious jewellery, royal robes and exquisite porcelain from several eras of Korean history. The objects give a multifaceted impression of Korea’s artistic traditions from the time of the ancient kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla (57 BC‑935 AD) to the Joseon Dynasty (1392‑1897). Numerous loans are on show for the first time in Europe.

The central themes of the presentation are ancient funerary traditions, the role of Buddhism and Confucianism as state-endorsed religions, the legacy of ceramic art, and the significance of the traditional Korean attire, the Hanbok, in the past and present.

Roof tile with monster, Silla Kingdom (8th/9th century), Korea. Photo: © National Museum of Korea

Maebyeong decorated with cranes and clouds, Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Photo: © National Museum of Korea

Seated Amitabha Buddha, Goreo Dynasty (14th century), Korea. Photo: © National Museum of Korea

Moon Jar, white porcelain, Joseon dynasty, 18th century. Photo: © National Museum of Korea

Hongwonsam, ceremonial robe of the queen, early 20th century, replica. Photo: © National Museum of Korea

Norigae, pendant with three ornaments, early 20th century. Photo: © National Museum of Korea

Woman’s ceremonial crown with floral decoration, early 21st century, Korea. © National Museum of Korea

Danghye, women's shoes, early 21st century, Korea. © National Museum of Korea

A tour of the exhibition through the Paraderäume concludes with a selection of Korean artworks from the ethnographic collections of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections). These include folding screens, armour and weapons collected by German travellers in Korea at the beginning of the 19th century. They offer valuable insights into Korea at that time and document the beginnings of a cultural exchange between Korea and Germany. An important item is the folding screen from the GRASSI Museum of Ethnology in Leipzig. Its title is “100 Ideas for Happiness and Longevity” and gave the exhibition its name.

“100 Ideas of Happiness and a Long Life”, partition from the late Joseon Dynasty, 18th century. Photo: Dresden State Art Collections, The Dresden Museum of Ethnology, Photo: Sylvia Pereira.

The second exhibition venue within the Residenzschloss is located in the Sponsel Room of the Neues Grünes Gewölbe. Surrounded by the treasures of Augustus the Strong, a selection of precious gold jewellery from the royal tombs of the Silla Dynasty is displayed there. These objects, which include the famous gold crown from Geumgwanchong, one of the most important royal tombs in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla kingdom, are among Korea’s national treasures. An elaborately decorated belt made of pure gold, a wing-shaped headdress and magnificent earrings and rings, which are presented in the exhibition as an ensemble for the first time in many years, also come from this tomb. They are cultural and historical testimonies to the great significance of the Silla Kingdom.

Gold crown from the tomb Geumgwanchong, Noseo-dong, Gyeongju, Silla Kingdom, 5th century. Photo: © National Museum of Korea, Seoul

Inner mould of the gold crown from the tomb Geumgwanchong, Noseo-dong, Gyeongju, Silla Kingdom, 5th century. Photo: © National Museum of Korea, Seoul

Gold crown ornament from the tomb Geumgwanchong, Noseo-dong, Gyeongju, Silla Kingdom, 5th century. Photo: © National Museum of Korea, Seoul

Gold belt with pendants, Three Kingdoms period (Silla), 5th century. Photo: © National Museum of Korea, Seoul

Earrings, Three Kingdoms period (Silla), 5th century. Photo: © National Museum of Korea, Seoul.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a rich and varied programme of events, including a Korean Week (26 May to 1 June 2025).

The publication “100 Ideas of Happiness” is published by Sandstein Verlag. Editors: Dresden State Art Collections, Claudia Brink and Sojin Baik. ISBN 978-3-95498-863-1, available in bookshops for € 34.00 or in the museum for € 29.00.