日本의 金石文 硏究 現況

Abstract

Epigraph is the carved letters on the stone or metal in order to leave the letters to future generations for a long ages. Among epigraph, stele take a large part but comparing with Chinese epigraph, the number of Japanese stele is relatively small and also stele carved on huge stone are very rare. Japanese stelewere mainly made in ancient ages because Chinese culture were mostly adopted at that time. Thus Japanese epigraphy after Edo period still focused on Ancient epigraph. In modern ages, by achieving a synthesis of epigraph in every place, the value of epigraph as historical material were acknowledged like ancient document. Epigraph made in middleages considered as subsidiary material since most of them are not stele but are engraved letters on Buddhist altar fitting and stone pagoda. Different from most epigraph in middle age which were influenced by Buddhism, epigraph in Edo period(modern ages) ruled by Tokugawa shogunate were influencedby Confucianism. Accordingly, epigraph in modern ages were newly made following Confucianism but stone pagoda and Buddhism temple bells were still built. Current epigraphy in Japan is not limited to the interpretation of epigraph but expanded to examining stele and pagoda with epigraph as historical material. Whole surveyed map for stele and pagoda with epigraph weremade and historian and archaeologist are working together on epigraph.