Flagpole Supports with Lotus Design at Bomunsa Temple Site, Gyeongju

When a temple held an event such as a prayer service or dharma assembly, a banner displaying the sacred virtues of the Buddha and bodhisattvas was raised at the temple entrance. This banner was called a dang, the pole from which it hung was called a danggan, and the two stone pillars supporting the pole on either side are called danggan jiju, or flagpole supports. To the southeast of these flagpole supports lie the remains of what is known as the old site of Bomunsa Temple, but it is not certain whether the temple to which the flagpole supports belonged was originally Bomunsa or a separate temple. The two supports now stand facing each other, east and west, 62 cm apart, in the middle of a wide expanse of rice paddies. Because their lower sections are mostly buried underground, the structure below is difficult to confirm. Overall, each support has a form that bulges in the middle, and at the top, on the inner face, there is a large hole 13 cm wide for fixing the pole in place. Notably, a square frame is set into the upper outer face of each support, within which eight lotus petals are carved in a circle; decorating flagpole supports with lotus petals in this way is rare. The supports are presumed to have been made in the mid-eighth century, during the Unified Silla period, and are notable for their unusual form even among works produced in that period.

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Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물