Bronze Incense Burner with Silver-inlaid Design of Tongdosa Temple (1963)

It is a ritual implement used in temples to burn incense during ceremonies or when placed on the altar. A vessel with a rice-bowl-shaped body set atop a trumpet-shaped stand that flares out to a disc-shaped base is called a hyangwan. The Bronze Incense Burner with Silver-inlaid Design of Tongdosa Temple is 33 cm high, with a mouth diameter of 30 cm and a stand diameter of 24.7 cm; its entire surface is densely inlaid with silver, using thick and fine silver and gold threads to depict lotus, scroll, phoenix and cloud patterns. Four circles are placed around the centre of the body, surrounded by floral patterns. Round tin plates stamped with Sanskrit characters are now fixed inside the circles with four nails each; these are later repairs. The spaces between the circles are carved with scroll patterns, and a lotus pattern runs around the body below. A distinctive feature of this incense burner is that the spaces between the scroll patterns on the body are filled with silver plate. The stand has three tiers: the upper tier bears a lotus pattern, the lower tier a scroll pattern, and the broad central section is decorated with clouds and phoenixes rendered in thick and fine lines. A slight warp in part of the wide rim around the mouth is a flaw, but the form overall gives a sense of stability. Given that the patterns covering the entire surface are highly intricate yet have become stylised, the piece is presumed to date from the late Goryeo period.

AI Translation

Visiting

Opening hours

Open 24 hr

Closed

N/A (Open all year round) [Buddhist Museum] Mondays, Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day) & Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) holidays

Admission

Free

Parking

Available

Information

+82-55-382-7182

Visitor information: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1

Where it is

Region

Yangsan, Gyeongnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물