Roof-end Tile with Human Face Motif | |
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![]() The tile | |
Discovered | 1932 Gyeongju, Korea, Empire of Japan |
The Roof-end Tile with Human Face Motif (Korean: 경주 얼굴무늬 수막새), nicknamed the Silla smile (신라의 미소), is a Silla-era (57 BCE – 935 CE) ornamental roof tile that went on the end of a roof.[1] It was made Treasure of South Korea no. 2010[2] on November 27, 2018.[1]
The smiling face depicted in the tile is considered iconic, and has become a symbol of Gyeongju.[2] It is now in the Gyeongju National Museum.[3]
It is the only known handmade Korean ornamental roof-end tile; all other known roof-end tiles were made with molds.[1]