Stone Lantern of Cheongnyangsa Temple, Hapcheon

This stone lantern stands beside a three-storey stone pagoda within Cheongnyangsa Temple. Every part of it is octagonal, and it is made up, from bottom to top, of a base, a firebox stone (hwasaseok) that holds the light, a roof stone, and a finial. On the sides of the octagonal lower base stone are carved a lion figure and an incense burner, and the top surface bears a lotus design with a small flower projecting from each corner. The central pillar is shaped like a janggu, an hourglass-shaped drum, and above it sits an upper base stone carved with lotus petals. Above the base sits the firebox stone that holds the light, which has windows cut into its four sides and figures of the Four Heavenly Kings carved in relief beside them. The roof stone is thin, with gently sloping sides and corners that curve upward, giving it a light, buoyant look. Of the finial, only two stones of uncertain original form now remain. Overall the lantern is built up in tiers of octagonal stone, closely following the basic style of the Silla period, but the altered shape of the central pillar of the base, together with the carving technique, suggests that it was in fact made in the latter half of the 9th century.

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Where it is

Region

Hapcheon, Gyeongnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물