Tortoise-shaped Pedestal in Seoak-dong, Gyeongju

This remains across the road to the south of the Tomb of King Taejong Muyeol in Seoak-ri. On the evidence of the account in the Samguk sagi and of writing carved on a stele fragment found beneath the northern base of Yeonggwiru Pavilion at Seoak Seowon (a Confucian academy), it is presumed to be the pedestal of a stele that once bore an inscription recording the achievements of Kim In-mun (629-694). The tortoise of the pedestal plants its four legs firmly and stretches its neck forward. Apart from the fact that both its front and hind feet each have five toes, it rivals in craftsmanship the tortoise pedestal of King Taejong Muyeol's own stele, standing as its equal; the five folds carved into its neck are realistic yet natural. The large hexagonal pattern carved on the tortoise's shell likewise shows outstanding craftsmanship, and the cloud pattern carved around the shell, bordered further out by a bead-like pattern, is distinctive. At the centre of the shell is a square socket where the stele itself was set. In the general stylistic development of tortoise pedestals, the tortoise head begins to be replaced by a dragon's head from the ninth century onward; the Seoak-ri pedestal preserves the original tortoise-head form well, making it the earliest example of the style of stone stele pedestal in Korea. It is presumed to have been made in the mid-seventh century, after the unification of the Three Kingdoms.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물