The Donated Works section displays treasures that have been generously donated to the museum by individual collectors, including exquisite examples of painting, ceramics, sculpture, lacquer ware, metal arts, tiles, and more.
The Lee Hong-kun Gallery displays a rotating selection of invaluable relics from the near 5,000 cultural assets donated by Mr. Lee Hong-kun (李洪根,1900-1980), who used the pen name Dongwon (東垣). Mr. Lee was an avid cultural enthusiast who energetically pursued the preservation of cultural assets and their return to society. Among his many cultural activities, he established the first corporate museum in Korea, DongwonArtGallery. After his death, his family donated his entire collection to the nation, in accordance with his will.
Hiscollection is exceptionally diverse, featuring ceramics, roof tiles, metal crafts, calligraphic works, Buddhist sculptures, bronze mirrors, earthenware from Korea, China, and Japan, and much more. The ceramics are particularly impressive, ranging from celadon to Buncheong Wares to white porcelain, illustrating the transformation of Korean pottery over the centuries. A wide variety of ceramics from the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty are displayed, including a masterful Buncheong Ware bottle with inlaid lotus design (Treasure #1067).
