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Six gold pendants dangle from this tree-shaped gold and jade crown from the ancient kingdom of Silla in Korea. The 10.75-inch crown was excavated from a fifth-century A.D. royal tomb containing a king, his queen and lavish goods for the afterlife. Magnificent treasures were preserved in the late fourth- to early sixth-century royal burial mounds in Silla’s capital city, Gyeongju.

The kingdom of Silla spanned almost a millennium (57 B.C.–935 A.D.). Ruled by a single dynasty throughout most of its history, Silla came to control much of the Korean peninsula. Silla entered its Golden Age through trade with China and Eurasia on the Silk Road.