Stone Lions from Gwandeok-dong, Uiseong

These are two surviving lion statues from among the four originally placed on the platform of the Three-storey Stone Pagoda in Gwandeok-ri, Uiseong (Treasure). One pair was lost in 1940, and only the remaining pair is now kept at the Gyeongju National Museum. Both are so heavily worn that the carving technique can no longer be made out. The lioness sits with her forelegs held straight and her hind legs bent. Her face turns to the right, and a beaded necklace remains around her thick neck, recalling the stone lion ornaments of Dabotap Pagoda at Bulguksa Temple. What draws particular attention here is the rare depiction of three cubs beneath her belly, one of which is suckling at its mother's milk. The male lion sits in the same posture as the lioness, with his head turned slightly to the left, suggesting that the pair were originally arranged facing one another. The lions are presumed to date from the early ninth century, the same period as the Three-storey Stone Pagoda in Gwandeok-ri, Uiseong. Although the details of the carving are difficult to make out, the overall composition is well balanced, and the musculature of the legs and chest hints at a vigorous quality in the carving.

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Where it is

Region

Suseong-gu, Daegu

Designation

Treasure · 보물