Met Exhibit Presents a Pageant of Korean Art History

Duke Ligon, owner and manager of Mekusukey Oil Company, LLC, has built up a decades-long career at the head of major energy and natural resources companies in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, area. He also serves on corporate boards at firms such as Heritage Trust Company, and on major philanthropic boards concerned with promotion of the arts and education. The Metropolitan Museum of Art counts Duke Ligon among its most committed supporters in his position as a member of its Major Gifts Committee.

The Met, now almost 150 years old, continues to exhibit a range of the world’s most exquisite treasures in both its permanent collections and through countless special exhibitions. Among its recent exhibits, the museum hosted the yearlong Splendors of Korean Art through September 2017.

In addition to its highlighting of works from the Met’s own collections, this exhibition offered the public a look at pieces on loan from the National Museum of Korea, many of which have rarely been viewed by Western audiences. The time frame covered was suitably massive in its sweep, including pieces dating from the Late Bronze Age up to the present. Objects presented spanned porcelain works, paintings, traditional celadon ceramics, Buddhist religious artwork, and much more.

The development of Korean art over the centuries has in many ways paralleled that of its neighbors, yet it offers many distinctive elements. It is particularly known for its lacquerware objects, fine porcelains, and musical instruments.

Duke Ligon of Oklahoma City
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