흥천사 불교 금속공예의 특징

Abstract

The Buddhist bell of Heungcheonsa temple was made at 1462 by the royal family’s prayers for the establishment of a strong royal authority. According to the inscriptions, this bell reflects the atmosphere of the time through the auspicious incarnation of Sarira shout the despicability of the throne of King Sejo through the priest of Sari supremacy. This bell features double dragon-shaped loop and cintamani at the top. In the middle part of bell the three rows of thick ridges are engraved. The upper part of bell is arranged with wave pattern, but there is no the striking point between mouth and the lower part of bell. This inscription of the bell is an important epitaph that understand the early Joseon society because of including the royal family and government artisans as well as the casting techniques used to produce bell, The Buddhist gong of Heungcheonsa temple is presumed to have been cast together at about the same time, as four Buddhist gongs including the Guangmu 6th year(1902) Haenam Daeheungsa temple with the same size, the same pattern, and the same shape. So these Buddhist gongs are likely to have been produced in the same workshop. Three Buddhist percussions(gyeongja) and bamboo-shaped candlestick were made by brassware. Although there are no inscriptions or records related to the production period, it is likely that they are a series of works produced together in the early 20th century in that they are related to the royal family of King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty.