Reliquaries from the Five-story Brick Pagoda of Songnimsa Temple, Chilgok

Songnimsa Temple was founded in the fifth year of King Jinheung's reign (544) to enshrine relics that the monk Myeonggwan brought back from China, and it houses the Five-story Brick Pagoda of Songnimsa Temple (a treasure), one of the very few brick pagodas surviving in Korea. In 1959, when the pagoda was dismantled for repair, many relics that had been placed inside it were discovered. Among these, the reliquaries from the Five-story Brick Pagoda of Songnimsa Temple, Chilgok, were found inside a turtle-shaped stone box on the second storey of the pagoda's body (the box is now kept at Songnimsa Temple). On the first storey, two Buddha images each made of wood, stone and bronze were found. On the second storey, a set of Silla-period reliquaries was found: inside the painted, turtle-shaped stone box were a gilt-bronze outer reliquary decorated with delicate ornaments cut from thin gold sheet, a long-necked reliquary bottle of green glass, and glass cups set with jade and pearls. On the third storey, decayed sheets of paper were found inside a stone box covered with a wooden lid. Inside the bokbal, the inverted bowl-shaped finial ornament, on top of the fifth storey, a round inlaid celadon box and two gilt-bronze rings were found. The inlaid celadon box is decorated with chrysanthemum and scrolling-vine patterns, and judging from the colour of its glaze and its design, it is an outstanding piece thought to date from the late twelfth century, the golden age of Goryeo inlaid celadon. In addition, 281 beads, fifteen silver rings, seven pieces of aromatic wood, and one fruit believed to be from a bodhi tree were found. The discovery of such varied relics from both the Unified Silla and Goryeo periods within a single pagoda shows that it must have been repaired on several occasions. In particular, the gilt-bronze reliquary and glass reliquary bottle found inside the turtle-shaped box on the second storey are relics without parallel, and are of great value as historical material.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Suseong-gu, Daegu

Designation

Treasure · 보물