Stupa from Oesa-ri, Goesan

This stupa, a monument enshrining the sarira, or relics, of a Buddhist monk, originally stood at the foot of a hill in the village of Oesa-ri. It was moved and re-erected at the Kansong Art Museum after narrowly escaping removal from the country by a Japanese national during the Japanese colonial period. During the Korean War the stupa collapsed and its parts were scattered, but it was reassembled in 1964 and restored to its original form. It takes the typical shape, with each part of the base and body octagonal in plan. The base has two lower support stones, one above the other: the lower is carved with an ansang, a lens-shaped decorative niche motif common on Korean stone furniture, and the upper is bordered with a lotus design, with a floral carving projecting at each of the eight corners. The middle support stone is carved in relief with a cloud pattern below, while above, each face is unusually entasis-shaped, narrower at the top and wider at the bottom. The body stone likewise has an entasis form like the middle support, and on its north and south faces are door-shaped carvings, within which locks are carved in relief. The roof stone has raised eaves, and at each corner an oversized floral ornament rises up. At the top, a round stone encircled by two lines carries two further ornaments of similar shape stacked above it, forming the finial. Grand though it is in appearance, the style of carving on each part suggests that it is a work from before the mid-Goryeo period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물