Busan Museum's 'Heung-gu' and 'Maegi' Merchandise Gains Popularity... "Expanding the Museum Experience"

"Popularity Soars After Launch of In-House Cultural Products Shop"

New Releases Timed for UNESCO World Heritage Committee Meeting

Museums are no longer just places to visit exhibitions and leave. Busan Museum is attracting visitors by introducing cultural products featuring its collections and in-house characters.

These cultural products, which allow people to carry the history and culture of Busan they encounter at the exhibitions into their daily lives, have been well received and are establishing themselves as new cultural content for the museum.

Busan Museum, which is part of the Busan Metropolitan City Museums, announced on June 28 that the cultural products shop, which opened last May, is operating with enthusiastic support from visitors.

The goods shop located in the first-floor lobby of the Busan Hall sells cultural products based on the museum’s collections and signature characters. It was designed so that visitors can continue their museum experience and memories in their daily lives, even after touring the exhibits.

The cultural products are divided into items inspired by the collections and those featuring the signature characters. The collection-inspired products reinterpret the beauty and symbolism of cultural heritage in a modern way. The flagship items, such as the ‘White Porcelain Mirror Vase’ and the ‘Mother and Baby Tiger Keyring,’ were developed last year through Busan City’s institutional asset-based merchandise project. Other products, including a file folder and a wireless notebook featuring a painting of birds and flowers, as well as a miniature gilt-bronze Bodhisattva statue, are also available.

Merchandise featuring the museum’s signature characters, ‘Heung-gu’ and ‘Maegi,’ is also gaining popularity. The two characters were created in collaboration with Hojo (Kwon Sunho), the artist behind the Kakao Friends characters.

‘Heung-gu’ was inspired by tiger paintings exported to Japan via Choryangwaegwan in the late Joseon period. Reflecting the era’s unique perception of tigers and leopards as a single mythical creature, the face and tail are adorned with leopard spots while the body is marked with tiger stripes.

‘Maegi’ was modeled after hawk paintings exported to Japan in the same period. These two characters, which embody Busan’s history and culture, have been turned into a variety of products such as pouches, color-changing cups, and stationery, helping younger generations engage with the museum in a more familiar way.

Busan Museum plans to continue introducing new cultural products linked to its exhibitions. To coincide with the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in July, it will release eco-bags and carbon pencils connected to a special exhibition, as well as art goods created in collaboration with young Busan artists. The museum also plans to keep developing cultural products reflecting Busan’s history and culture, such as reinterpreting a Gaya-era cup-shaped earthenware excavated by the museum into a modern mug.

Jung Eunwoo, Director of Busan Metropolitan City Museums, said, “The goods shop is a cultural space where visitors can encounter the collections and stories of the museum in their daily lives,” adding, “We will continue to collaborate across various fields and introduce museum cultural products that capture the unique spirit of Busan.”

Busan Museum Cultural Goods Shop.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.