ca.
7000 Earliest known
Korean pottery produced
7000
6000
Fig. 2
NEOLITHIC PERIOD
4000
CA .
Ca. 4000–3000 B.C.
3000
7000 –
Comb-Pattern Vessel
at www.metmuseum.org/toah/splash.htm)
CA .
2000
10 TH
(See also the Museum’s online Timeline of Art History
ca. 1200–900 Rice cultivation introduced into Korea
CENTURY B . C .
Jar
A Timeline of Korean History and Art
ca. 10th century Metallurgy and bronze technology introduced
1000
into Korea
Image 1
ca. 300 Iron technology introduced into Korea
ca. 194 –180 State of Old Chosôn replaced by Wiman Chosôn
BRONZE AGE
3RD CENTURY B.C.
CA. 10TH CENTURY –
Ca. 4th century B.C.
108 Chinese Han dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.) defeats Wiman
B.C.
Chosôn and establishes military commanderies in northern Korea
0
ca. 108 B.C. – 313 A.D. Confucianism and Chinese written language
A.D.
introduced into Korea through Han commandery of Lelang
IRON AGE
FROM CA .
100
300 B . C .
Image 2
3rd century High-fired stoneware begins to
200
replace earlier low-fired earthenware
Bird-Shaped Vessel
313 Koguryô seizes Chinese commandery of Lelang and
Ca. late 2nd–3rd century
establishes control of northern part of Korean peninsula
mid-4th century Paekche, Silla, and Kaya dominate southern half
of Korean peninsula by this date
300
372 Buddhism introduced into Koguryô
SILLA KINGDOM
384 Buddhism introduced into Paekche
KAYA FEDERATION
THREE KINGDOMS PERIOD
PAEKCHE KINGDOM
KOGURYÔ KINGDOM
400
57 B . C . – 668 A . D.
Stand
Image 3
42 – 562 A . D.
18 B . C . – 660 A . D.
37 B . C . – 668 A . D.
57 B . C . – 668 A . D.
5th–6th century
528 Buddhism officially recognized by Silla
500
538 Buddhism introduced to Japan by envoys from Paekche
Image 4
6th century
Pair of Earrings
600
676 Silla succeeds in unifying Korea under a single government
682 National Confucian College (Kukhak; later renamed
T’aehakkam) established
700
Image 5
751–after 774 Rebuilding of Pulguk-sa temple and construction of Sôkkuram
Buddhist cave-temple (Kyôngju, North Kyôngsang Province)
8th century
668 – 935
Standing Buddha
19
UNIFIED SILLA DYNASTY
Fig. 7
802 Haein-sa Buddhist temple (South Kyôngsang
century
800
Province) founded
668 – 935
Seated Buddha,
Second half of the 8th
UNIFIED SILLA DYNASTY
Sôkkuram Cave-Temple
900
Image 7A
10th century
993–1018 Khitan invade Korea
Rafter Finial in the
1011–87 First set of woodblocks carved for printing Buddhist
canon (Tripitaka)
1000
Shape of a Dragon Head
early 12th–early 13th century Production of Korean celadon
ware reaches its height artistically and technically
1100
Image 10
Wine Ewer
1145 Samguk sagi (Histories of the Three Kingdoms) completed
Early 12th century
KORYÔ DYNASTY
ca. 1200–before 1234 Invention and use of moveable cast-metal type
1251 Carving of woodblocks for printing Tripitaka Koreana completed; set
1200
replaces 11th-century Tripitaka destroyed by Mongols
Image 15
918 – 1392
Ca. 13th century
Amitabha Triad
1231–57 Mongols invade Korea
Unidentified artist
ca. 1285 Samguk yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) compiled
1300
Image 14
Maebyông
14th century
Late 13th–early
ca. 1400–50 Porcelain first produced in Korea
1400
Ca. 1340
Image 17
Sutra (detail)
1446 King Sejong (r. 1418–50) promulgates new
Unidentified artist indigenous alphabet (now called han’gûl)
Illustrated Manu-
script of the Lotus
15th–16th century Punch’ông ware produced
1500
Bottle
Image 21
15th century
Flask-Shaped
1592–98 Japanese troops under Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536–1598) invade Korea
1600
1627 and 1636 Manchus invade Korea
Image 25B
15th century
early 17th century Sirhak (Practical Learning) movement begins
CHOSÔN DYNASTY
Lake Dongting
Landscape in the
Style of An Kyôn:
Unidentified artist
Autumn Moon over
18th century “True-view” landscape developed as indigenous trend in painting
1700
1392 – 1910
Fig. 8
late 18th century Christianity introduced into Korea
18th century
First half of the
1800
fall at Mount Naeyôn
Three Dragon Water-
Chông Sôn (1676–1759)
1876 Treaty of Kanghwa
Image 24
Large Jar
1910 – 45 Japanese annexation and colonial rule of Korea
1900
18th–19th century
20
Dynastic Chronology of Korea, China, and Japan
B .C.
8000 Jómon period,
Neolithic period, ca. 10,500 B.C.– ca. 300 B.C.
ca. 7000 – ca. 10th century B.C. 2000 Shang dynasty,
1000 ca.1600–ca. 1050 B.C.
Bronze Age,
ca. 10th– ca. 3rd century B.C. Zhou dynasty,
ca. 1046–256 B.C.
500
Yayoi period,
Iron Age, from ca. 300 B.C. ca. 4th century B.C.– ca. third
Qin dynasty, 221–206 B.C. century A.D.
Han dynasty, 206 B.C.‒220 A.D.
Three Kingdoms period, 57 B.C.–668 A.D.
Silla kingdom, 57 B.C.–668 A.D. 0
Koguryô kingdom, 37 B.C.–668 A.D.
Paekche kingdom, 18 B.C.–660 A.D. Six Dynasties, 220–589
Kofun period,
Kaya Federation, 42–562 A.D. ca. 3rd century–538
500 Sui dynasty, 581–618 Asuka period, 538–710
Tang dynasty, 618–907
Unified Silla dynasty, 668–935
Nara period, 710–794
Heian period, 794–1185
Five Dynasties, 907–60
Koryô dynasty, 918–1392
Liao dynasty, 916–1125
1000 Song dynasty, 960–1279
Jin dynasty, 1115–1234 Kamakura period, 1185–1333
Yuan dynasty, 1272–1368
Nanbokuchó period, 1336–1392
Chosôn dynasty, 1392–1910
Ming dynasty, 1368–1644 Muromachi period, 1392–1573
1500
Momoyama period, 1573–1615
Qing dynasty, 1644–1911 Edo period, 1615–1868
Meiji period, 1868–1911
1900
A.D.
Note to the reader
Dates for the Three Kingdoms are traditional, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all scholars.
21
Map 1: Korea in East Asia
22
Map 2: The Three Kingdoms at the Height of Koguryô Expansion (late fifth century)
23
Map 3: The Korean Peninsula
24
