Korean craftsman creates Silla crown replica for Trump

Kim Jin-bae, 63, a master craftsman specializing in metal cultural heritage replicas, said, “I’ve made over 100 Silla crowns, but this is my first for a head of state.”

At a South Korea-U.S. summit at the Gyeongju National Museum on Oct. 29, President Lee Jae-myung presented U.S. President Donald Trump with a replica of the Silla Cheonmachong gilt crown. Kim said in a phone interview that he and his son, Jun-yeon, worked about 10 hours daily from morning to night to complete it.

Kim said the Foreign Ministry commissioned the crown on Oct. 10, less than 20 days before the summit. He added that he was asked to quickly create a Silla crown replica for President Trump.

The crown is the Cheonmachong gilt crown, regarded as the largest and most ornate of the six surviving Silla crowns. It is believed to have been worn by King Jijeung, Silla’s 22nd ruler. The crown stands 32.5 centimeters tall with a circumference of 63 centimeters.

Kim crafted the headband and antler-shaped ornaments from gilded copper plates. He also hand-assembled about 380 circular pendants and 58 jade-green gogok beads. Kim said he hammered and cut thin copper sheets to make the pendants, then attached each with gilded wire. He added that making the crown entirely of pure gold would have cost about 300 million won.

Kim, following in the footsteps of his father Kim In-tae, a renowned craftsman, has focused on metalwork since the 1980s. In 2008, at the request of the National Museum of Korea, he reproduced a Silla crown and 10 gold belts from the northern tomb of Hwangnam Daechong, which were later displayed in Korean exhibitions at foreign museums. Despite his experience, he said replicating national treasures remains a constant challenge.

Kim said that even after 40 years in the craft, he approaches it differently from ordinary artworks. He added that because these are historical legacies, he strives to reproduce them precisely, capturing both their form and aura.


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