Bronze Bell Cast by Buddhist Monk Sain - Cheonggyesa Temple, Uiwang

This Joseon-period bell was cast in 1701 by the Monk Sain, a monk who was active in Gyeonggi-do and Gyeongsang-do during the reign of King Sukjong. The Monk Sain was an outstanding monk and craftsman of the 18th century who combined the traditional bell-casting techniques of Silla with his own originality. Eight of his surviving bells are known today, each with different characteristics. The bell is 115 cm high with a mouth diameter of 71 cm, a large bell weighing as much as 700 geun (an old unit of weight). At the top of the bell, two dragons form the loop by which it is hung, and a broad band carved with flowers and vines runs around the shoulder and the mouth of the bell. Below the shoulder band, nine lotus-bud bosses sit within square lotus-boss panels, with standing bodhisattva figures placed between them. Around the waist of the bell run two thick horizontal lines that appear to show Chinese influence, and below them an inscription survives that records who made the bell and when. This bell is a good example of 18th-century bell form, and it shows that the Monk Sain produced not only bells in the traditional Korean style but also works that followed the style of Chinese bells.

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Where it is

Region

Uiwang, Gyeonggi

Designation

Treasure · 보물