The Lee Hong-kun Gallery displays a rotating selection of invaluable relics from the nearly 5,000 cultural assets donated by Mr. Lee Hong-kun (李洪根,1900-1980), who used the pen name Dongwon (東垣).
Mr. Lee was an avid cultural enthusiast who energetically pursued the preservation of cultural assets and their return to society. Among his many cultural activities, he established the first corporate museum in Korea, Dongwon Art Gallery. After his death, his family donated his entire collection to the nation, in accordance with his will.
His collection is exceptionally diverse, featuring ceramics, roof tiles, metal crafts, calligraphic works, Buddhist sculptures, bronze mirrors, earthenware from Korea, China, and Japan, and much more. The ceramics are particularly impressive, ranging from celadon to Buncheong ware and white porcelain, illustrating the transformation of Korean pottery over the centuries. A wide variety of ceramics from the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty are displayed, including a masterful Buncheong ware bottle with inlaid lotus design (Treasure No.1067).