Bronze Bell of Taeansa Temple, Gokseong

This bell, housed at Taeansa Temple, was made in the second half of the 16th century during the Joseon period. At the very top, a tube-shaped sound tube rises, and a dragon-shaped hanger, which serves as the bell's suspension loop, is carved standing with its two legs pressing down on the crown plate. Around the shoulder runs a band of upright flame-and-flower ornaments, below which is a band of lotus patterns; beneath that, a wide band bears lotus patterns set within squares, and below this, Sanskrit letters are carved within small circles. On the wide body are four rectangular nipple panels, their borders decorated with scrolling foliage patterns, each containing nine low-relief nipples. The lower band of the body is set a little above the rim of the bell, and like the upper band, is carved with lotus and scrolling foliage patterns. An inscription carved on the body of the bell records that it was first cast in 1457, the third year of King Sejo of Joseon, but was damaged and recast in 1581, the 14th year of King Seonjo. It is a work from the transitional period when large temple bells commissioned by the royal court in the early Joseon period were giving way to bells centred on temples themselves, and is a valuable example showing both the continuation of traditional style and the grafting on of new stylistic elements. The inscription relating to its production is clearly carved in relief, and the casting technique is relatively excellent, making it a representative example of 16th-century temple bells.

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Where it is

Region

Gokseong, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Treasure · 보물