Twin Lion Stone Lantern from Godalsa Temple Site, Yeoju

This lantern had been lying fallen at the Godalsa temple site and was moved to Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1959; it is now held at the National Museum of Korea. It stands 2.43 m high. Originally only the hwasaseok, the stone chamber that houses the light, survived, but in 2000 an excavation carried out by the Gijeon Institute of Buried Cultural Heritage of Gyeonggi-do uncovered the missing roof stone. On the four sides of the rectangular base stone are carved rounded, flat ansang, an arched niche-shaped decorative motif, and in place of a lower support stone two lions are seated. The lions crouch with their forepaws extended to either side, and clouds rise up over their backs. The middle support stone bears clouds carved in relief, and the upper support stone is carved with lotus flowers. The hwasaseok set above it has an opening cut into each of its four sides. Most lions on Korean twin-lion stone lanterns stand upright, so the crouching pose of the lions here is distinctive. Judging by the carving technique, the lantern is thought to have been made in the early Goryeo period, around the tenth century.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물