VIRTUAL: Once Upon a Roof Tour at the Freer Gallery
Join the Harvard Club for a docent-guided view of the Freer's collection of Korean ornamental roof tiles.
Date: Monday, November 14th, 2022, 4:30-5:30pm ET
Location: Zoom
Roof tiles made of fired clay are key elements of traditional Korean architecture. They not only protected wooden structures from the weather; they also carried aesthetic value and symbolic meaning. One special type of ornamented roof tile is the focus of this exhibition. Called chimi in Korea, these impressive features crowned both ends of the main roof ridge of prominent buildings. In addition to protecting and embellishing building peaks, they were believed to ward off evil.
While the ancient wood frame buildings they adorned are long gone, clay roof tiles, including chimi, have survived more than one thousand years. This exhibition features three chimi unearthed from the sites of two Buddhist temples and one palace complex dating to the Three Kingdoms (Baekje) and Unified Silla periods. Also included are round roof tile ends excavated at the same sites. Together, these artifacts reveal hidden stories of the ancient architecture of Korea.
Most of these works have never been exhibited outside Korea.
Fees: Harvard Club and Dartmouth and MIT Club Members & Their Guests: FREE!