Opened in 1759 the British Museum in London is a public museum with more than 8 million artefacts relating to human history, art and culture from across the world. More than 6,4 million people visited in 2025 making it the second most popular attraction in the country. One gallery that is well worth a visit for anyone who is interested in Korean history and culture is the Korea Foundation Gallery. This image shows the entrance with some beautiful contemporary ceramics on display outside.
The Korea Foundation Gallery was opened in 2000 and later refurbished in 2014. The gallery includes artefacts from the collections at the British Museum but also from partner institutions. The objects on display dates from about AD 300 to the present day and include ceramics, metalwork, sculpture, paintings, prints, textiles, lacquer and coins. This Buddha statue made of iron from the Goryeo period, AD 900-1000, is on loan from the National Museum of Korea.
A couple of large paintings showing two of the 'Heavenly Kings of the North' are on display, dating from the Joseon period, c1796-1820. The painting in the background depicts the 'Ksitigarbha and the Ten Kings of Hell', from 1868, and the display cabinet shows interesting objects relating to writing and printing.
The gallery also includes a reconstruction of a sarangbang, or scholar's study, built by contemporary Korean master craftsmen in 2000, displaying traditional Korean architecture. There is also a cabinet with historic coins, and in the background two large Onggi jars and a display of fans can be seen.
The sarangbang in detail.
There are several display cabinets featuring ceramics, both modern and historic ones, in the gallery.