Meet a Norigae: Reading a Korean Pendant Through Its Museum Record

Illustration of a jade-colored hanging pendant with silk knots and coral and teal tassels

A museum record can give a Korean ornament a more precise identity than a quick image search. Start with the object’s name, then read its materials and identifying number before deciding what its appearance means.

For an American reader encountering the word norigae, one useful starting point is the National Museum of Korea’s record titled “Norigae, Pendant with Perfume Case.” It offers a small, manageable example of how to read an accessory as a collection object.

One object, three different kinds of information

The museum’s description, what you can observe in its image, and questions that remain unanswered belong in separate notes.

1. What this particular record tells you

The National Museum of Korea collection record names a pendant with a perfume case. It lists Korea under nationality/period, jade within its material classification, and the accession number Namsan783.

Those details identify this record. They do not establish the date, material, or use of every object sold or pictured under the name norigae. The title’s reference to a perfume case also does not tell us which fragrance, if any, remains inside the object today.

Keep the accession number with your note. It is a useful way to distinguish this object from another pendant with a similar English title.

2. A closer-looking worksheet

Three steps for reading a museum object record: name, material, and accession number

Part of your noteExample for this recordWhat to leave open
Museum identificationNorigae, Pendant with Perfume Case; Namsan783Details not supplied by the record
Listed materialJade in the museum’s classificationThe material of every visible component
Visual observationRecord shapes, connections, and colors you can actually seeSymbolic meanings inferred only from color
Further questionHow was the case opened or attached?An answer until a museum source explains it

Try two passes through the record. First, write down only the supplied information. Next, inspect the museum image and add short observations in a separate column. If a connection is hidden or the image is too small, write “not visible” rather than filling in the gap.

This is a looking exercise created for this notebook, rather than a historical rule for using the ornament. It works well when comparing two museum records: compare their recorded details before treating a resemblance as proof that they served the same purpose.

If you find a modern accessory for sale, keep its seller’s product description separate from the historic collection record. A similar color or tassel does not establish that it is an exact reproduction.

3. Questions before you move on

Is the cover an image of Namsan783?
No. It is an illustration of a hanging ornament. Use the museum’s own record and image to study that specific collection object.

Does “Korea” in the record provide a precise date?
No. Save the supplied classification as it appears; do not turn it into a dynasty or a year that this record does not state.

Open the museum’s norigae record

Source checked October 5, 2026: National Museum of Korea. The linked record has English object information within a Japanese-language site interface. The worksheet and viewing sequence are original suggestions from this notebook.

The cover illustration was created with AI to help explain the topic and is not a photograph or an exact reproduction of the museum object. The reading diagram was composed separately.

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