국립중앙박물관 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

Bronze Ornament with Pinwheel Design

This object was found a top a lacquer-coated wooden artifact inside Daeseong-dong Tomb 2 in Gimhae, leading researchers to hypothesize that it is a shield ornament. With a central cone-shaped protrusion surrounded by four extensions that spread out in a clockwise manner, the object seems to have been made in the image of a spider conch, which is native to the tropical waters of Okinawa. As such, this artifact can be seen to demonstrate exchange between Gaya and the Japanese Wa.