국립중앙박물관 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

Gilt-bronze Hairpin

Among Korean artifacts, hair ornaments with a trident-shaped decoration are unique to Balhae. These particular ornaments consist of two elongated prongs attached to three lotus flowers in a trident formation. Notably, some similar ornaments can be found in the collection of the Goryeo Museum in Gaeseong, North Korea. Those examples may have belonged to Balhae refugees who came to Goryeo, or they may actually have been produced in the Goryeo period. In the latter case, the ornaments would provide important evidence of the transmission of Balhae culture to Goryeo.