Korean Foodways on Display: From Rice Seeds to Modern Art

The National Museum of Korea in Seoul opened “Our Table,” a large-scale exhibition exploring Korean food culture through 684 artifacts and artworks from 51 institutions. The exhibition traces the history of Korean cuisine from the Bronze Age, beginning with burnt rice seeds discovered in a 3,000-year-old settlement in Yeoju.

Visitors can view relics detailing meals from the Three Kingdoms period, including Baekje-era cutlery from the Muryeong Tomb and a Silla-era jar containing the remains of fish like mackerel and dolphin. The exhibition also features Joseon dynasty paintings depicting different dining scenes, a man scraping the bottom of his bowl alone in Kim Hongdo’s “Tavern” and people sharing a meal by a river in Kim Deuksin’s “Gathering to Eat and Drink.” Through items like a record of King Jeongjo’s mother’s birthday banquet and a 17th-century culinary guide, the exhibition illustrates the evolution of Korean dining customs. The museum juxtaposes ancient artifacts, such as a 3rd-4th century cutting board, with modern art like Park Sugeun’s “Dried Herring on a Cutting Board” to demonstrate the continuity of Korean food traditions. “Our Table” runs until October 25, with admission costing 5,000 won for adults.