A Koryo period Korean bronze acquired by the Musee National des arts Asiatiques Guimet

In 2004, The Musee Guimet acquired a Korean bronze classified as belonging to the Koryo period (10(th)-14(th) century). Exhibited in Korea, Japan and London, the nowadays-unique piece represents a celestial musician (Gandharva). Featuring a lion skin headdress, this outstanding bronze appears to be a distant echo of Alexander the Great. A being of the eight categories in the Buddhist codification, this perfect piece illustrates the dissemination of motifs along the "Silk Road". Although the hammer-engraved inscription on the base records the year of the rooster, no specific year given. Since, in the lunar calendar, the year of the rooster occurs cyclically every sixty years, the bronze can be dated 913, 973, 853 or 793. Given both the theme and style, it would appear difficult to place this image with its adolescent charm more than three centuries later than the Sokkuram "grotto", the building of which has been precisely dated as 751. On the other hand, it would seem more logical to place it in the late Silla (7(th)-10(th) century) period, in the tradition of the Silla kingdom with its institution of Hwarang, or "flower-warriors", devoted to serving Buddhism and the monarchy.