신라의 書體 변천에 대한 고찰

Abstract

In early Silla, the culture of writing appears to have depended heavily on the role of literate groups entering from neighboring states, largely due to the kingdom’s relatively closed environment. From the late fourth century onward, within the context of close relations with Goguryeo, calligraphic styles belonging to the lineage of the Stele of King Gwanggaeto were introduced into Silla. A recently excavated stele fragment from Wolseong provides concrete evidence that this calligraphic style was utilized as an authoritative script in the Silla royal capital. The sixth century was a period in which Silla indigenized calligraphic styles transmitted through Goguryeo while simultaneously laying the foundation for the broader development of standardized calligraphic forms across East Asia. In particular, during the reign of King Jinheung, a refined regular script (haeseo) represented by the “Silla Jeokseong Stele Style” was fully established. This style subsequently spread to royal tour stelae (sunsubi), wooden tablets (mokgan), and pottery inscriptions, thereby supporting the documentary and administrative systems of both the central and local governments. Following the establishment of a unified Silla state in the mid-seventh century, Silla actively adopted the refined regular script of the Early Tang style. The Stele of King Taejong Muyeol and the Stele of King Munmu in Gyeongju represent the mature form of this stylistic development. In sum, the evolution of calligraphic styles in Silla constituted a historical and cultural developmental process through which foreign writing cultures were actively adopted and transformed, ultimately realizing both the transregional universality of East Asian calligraphic culture and a distinctly Silla aesthetic sensibility.