Baekje Musicians

Musicians with a zither (琴 [geum]) and a panpipe (簫 [so]), Baekje (ancient Korea), 6~7th century

Baekje (18 BCE~660 CE) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Goguryeo and Silla. At its height in the 4th century, Baekje ruled over the majority of the western Korean peninsula. It grew into a significant regional maritime power, and played an important role in spreading Buddhism throughout East Asia and introducing continental culture to Japan.

These musicians were inspired by the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje (백제 금동 대향로) discovered in 1993 in the city of Buyeo. Buyeo was the last capital (538~660) of Baekje. Because of its exquisite realism and metalwork, this burner is regarded as one of the finest pieces of ancient Baekje art. The burner depicts a variety of symbols and themes, including Buddhist and Taoist motives. 

The five musicians on the top of the burner are the most intriguing feature. These musicians are playing the panpipe (簫), vertical flute (長笛), drum (鼓), zither (琴), and lute (阮咸). Scholars hold different opinions about whether they are a man or a woman. So, I drew the both versions.

The hairstyles of the musicians are distinctive. Their long hair is tied like a bow on the right side of the face. While a similar hairstyle known as Ssanggye[쌍계] was popular throughout East Asia at the time, the hair was usually tied on both sides, not just one side like these musicians.

Another peculiarity of the musicians is their clothing. The opening of the topwear (Jeogori[저고리]) is clasped with the belt in a very low and loose position. Therefore, much of the naked torso is visible. This low opening resembles the contemporary Southern Chinese drawings, so some scholars suggest that it is due to the hot, humid climate of both regions.

The male musician on the right is a composite of incense burner and various chronicles. "Samguk Sagi (삼국사기)", the chronicle of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, describes the attire of the musicians of Goguryeo as follows:

"They wore a purple silk headdress (紫羅帽) with a bird's feather, wide-sleeved yellow topwear (黃大袖) lined with a purple silk (紫羅帶), wide trousers (大口袴), red leather shoes (赤皮鞾), and a five-colored black cord (緇繩, sash?)."

According to several Korean and Chinese chronicles, the fashion of Baekje was similar to that of Goguryeo. So I used the aforementioned excerpt to represent the Baekje musician. The 'purple silk headdress' is vaguely described, but given that it was adorned with a bird's feather, it is likely that it was Jougwan (조우관), an ancient Korean headdress. The headdress itself is called Jeolpung (절풍), which originates from the Scythian pointed headdress. Jougwan is the feather-adorned Jeolpung.

The bead necklace and gold earrings are based on excavated findings from Gongju. Gongju was the second capital of Baekje (475~538). Ancient Koreans loved their earrings and necklaces, and southern kingdoms such as Baekje were particularly well-known for their fondness for glass beads.

Finally, the zither is based on a fragment discovered in Daegu in 1995. It is the head part of the instrument, and the number of holes for the strings indicate that it was an eight-stringed instrument.