The Smile of Silla Umbrella for Both Sun and Rain Protection
The Smile of Silla Umbrella for Both Sun and Rain Protection
Product : 500mm×6K, (when unfolded)1000×500mm, (when folded)240×60 cm
Package : 55*235mm, Weight : 190g(220g)
Concept
This product incorporating the popular Roof-end Tile with Human Face Design in the collection of the Gyeongju National Museum was designed for everyday convenience. Known as the “smile from Silla,” the roof-end tile featuring a serene yet cheerful grin is one of Gyeongju’s most beloved cultural remnants. This product inspired by a roof-end tile conveying warmth and comfort aims to bring the smile of Silla into daily life to spread joy and positivity.
Features
The Roof-end Tile with Human Face Design served originally as a decorative element at the end of an eave. It was designed to protect buildings from rain while symbolically warding off evil spirits and inviting good fortune. This product integrates the beauty and functionality of the roof-end tile into a practical modern design. To ensure the highest quality, the product has been manufactured domestically, including the dyeing, embroidery, and stitching, following extensive sampling and testing. It is designed for use as a parasol to block the sun and its UV rays, and also as an umbrella to repel water. It is extremely lightweight and compact, making it easy to carry and store in your bag. Enjoy the cool shade under the Smile from Silla umbrella with its elegant, embroidered edges. Let this delightful umbrella brighten your day and bring a smile to your everyday life.
Usage Precautions
This product is made from satin fabric with a high rate of blocking UV rays. It is coated with an exceptionally water-repellent material, making it suitable for light rain as an umbrella.
However, the embroidered areas are not fully waterproof, so please use a different umbrella during long periods of rain, in the monsoon season, or heavy downpours.
·After use, dry it in the shade and avoid storing it in humid places.
-Recommended for users aged 14 and above.
Relic
The Roof-end Tile with Human Face Motif, also known by its nickname, Silla smile, was discovered in Sajeong-ri (present-day Sajeong-dong) in Gyeongju in the early twentieth century. The ornamental tile was introduced to academic circles after a Japanese collector named Tanaka Toshinobu purchased it at an antique shop in 1934. The tile was smuggled to Japan sometime after the purchase, and was not repatriated to Korea until October 1972.
Unlike other ordinary tiles, which were made using tile molds (wabeom), this tile was made by shaping the desired form by hand and then finishing it with tools. The details of the face suggest that it is the work of an experienced craftsman, while the tile itself shows traces of use. Although the tile is partly damaged, the details of the face - including the clearly defined eyebrows, nicely raised nose and gentle smile lines around the eyes and mouth - have been preserved, reflecting the Silla people’s aspiration for a utopian world.
The tile is the only known ornamental roof-end tile made in Korea to have been made by hand, and is regarded as a valuable part of the Korean cultural heritage reflecting the humble, humane life of the common people of Silla and excellence in the tile making .