분황사 석탑의 중수와 사리장엄구

Abstract

Since its establishment during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla Dynasty, the stone pagoda of Bunhwang-sa temple had a number of serious repairs. The Buddhist reliquaries of the stone pagoda of Bunhwang-sa temple displays the mixture of relics of Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties around the relics of the Three Kingdom Era as produced at the time of its establishment. As shown, the appearance of mixture of relics during the several periods in the Buddhist reliquaries is reflected with the records of repairs made on the stone pagoda. As a result of reviewing the records related to the stone pagoda of Bunhwang-sa, there was an attempt to restore the stone pagoda that was inflicted with damages from the Imjinoiran (Japanese Invasion in the Year of Imjin), and in the process, Buddhist reliquaries that had been enshrined within the stone pagoda was discovered. The Buddhist reliquaries appearing at this time was moved and kept in Baekryul-sa temple for certain period, and the legendary story on the Sujeonghwaju (crystal ball) of Queen Seondeok as included in the Buddhist reliquaries was dispersed at this time. The time of reconstruction of the stone pagoda of Bunhwang-sa temple into the present 3-story stone pagoda is assumed between the period of 1760 to 1773. These facts could be presumed through the written articles of traveling by the scholars who visited Gyeongju during the late Joseon Era, and Buddhist reliquaries that had been moved to Baekryul-sa temple is deemed to enshrine in the stone pagoda of Bunhwang-sa temple again at this time. As a result of comparing the sarira offering items of stone pagoda of Bunhwang-sa temple with a number of cases from the Three Kingdom Era, the metallic bell, multiple rings, coil, gokok (Comma-shaped jades), isik (circular-shaped earings), doja (knife) and the like display similar attributes with the offering items in Buddhist reliquaries of the wooden pagoda in Wangheung-sa temple site of Baekje or Buddhist reliquaries of the stone pagoda in Mireuk-sa temple site that it is construed as the relics that reflected the attributes of time in history. And, those circular-shaped earings (Ijeon), needle, scissors and needle case are unique relics that had not displayed in any sarira offering items of Baekje as well as in the Unified Silla Dynasty. However, considering from the fact of excavating the relics of the same type from the sarira offering items in the 9-story pagoda in Hwangryong-sa temple, they are deemed as the characteristics of Buddhist reliquaries found in the reign of Queen Seondeok Era. Lastly, from the ancient sarira offering items of Korea, the Wunju (decorative harness fittings) confirmed only from the stone pagoda of Bunhwang-sa temple and 9-story pagoda of Hwangryong-sa temple is a type of Magu (apparatus for horses) that is a particular feature of the sarira offering items sarira offering items of Silla Dynasty during the Three Kingdom Era in relation to the items buried in ancient tombs.