Three-story Stone Pagoda of Yeongoksa Temple, Gurye

This stone pagoda stands to the south of the main worship hall at Yeongoksa Temple; it consists of a three-tiered base topped by a three-story body. Each tier of the base is carved at its four corners and in the centre with pillar-shaped mouldings. The body stones and roof stones of the pagoda are each carved from a single block of stone, and the body stone of each story likewise has pillar shapes carved at its corners. The roof stones have four-stepped supports on their undersides at every story, and the underside of the eaves is horizontal. The upper surface flows in light, graceful curves, and the upturn at each of the four corners is elegant. The uppermost tier of the base is very wide, and by contrast the body of the pagoda seems to taper; yet from the lowest tier of the base to the very top, the proportional reduction is gentle and harmonious, giving the pagoda a beautiful sense of stability. Judging from the style in which the stones are assembled, the pagoda is thought to date from the late Unified Silla period. The roof stone of the third story had fallen to the ground but was restored when the pagoda was dismantled and repaired in 1967. At that time, a single bronze standing Buddha was found inside the upper tier of the base.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gurye, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Treasure · 보물