NORTHEAST ASIAN HISTORY FOUNDATION 12/2016
the Cover
Discovered in Kraskino, Primorski Krai at the site where a castle from the ancient Korean kingdom of Balhae used to be, the relic is a mirror 7.55 centimeters tall, 7.51 centimeters wide, and 0.13 centimeters thick. It is the third bronze mirror from the Balhae period to be uncovered completely intact, and the first of its kind to be excavated from the Primorski Krai area.
The back of this flat, square-shaped mirror is decorated with a relief of a flower at the center and beaded lines fanning out from the flower's petals, dividing the square into eight sections that each encloses two flowers. The flower in the center symbolizes the sun while the rest of the flowers and beaded lines represent the fragrance the central flower gives out, a projection of the Balhae people's hope for the whole world to be filled with bright light and an exquisite floral fragrance.
Reference: The 2012 Excavation of the Kraskino Balhae Site in Russian Primorsky Krai (2013)
- Northeast Asia History Network
- Northeast Asia History Library
- DOKDO Research Institute
- DOKDO Museum Seoul
- Education and Training
