Stele of State Preceptor Doseon and Master Sumi of Dogapsa Temple, Yeongam

The Doseon-Sumi Stele at Dogapsa Temple is a stone stele equipped with a tortoise-shaped base, body and capstone, preserved within a protective shelter erected near the stupa field of Dogapsa Temple. It is 517 cm in height and records the deeds of State Preceptor Doseon, a monk of the Unified Silla period, and Royal Preceptor Sumi of the Joseon period. The stele's platform is constructed of several flat stone slabs; the front is laid out in a square shape, while the rear follows the outline of the tortoise base, giving the whole an overall hexagonal form. The head of the tortoise base is turned slightly to the right, its mouth firmly gripping a magic jewel between eight upper and lower teeth; the nose is large, and the two hemispherical eyes are rendered bulging and prominent. On the back, instead of the typical tortoise-shell pattern, parallel diagonal lines are neatly carved in intaglio. Of the four legs, the front feet are carved with five claws each and the hind feet with three, and the tail curves slightly to touch the thigh of the left hind leg. On the upper surface, a broad, shallow square pedestal extends from the stele seat to the middle section, and a floral design is carved on the concave upper surface at the centre of each side. Unlike the tortoise base and capstone, the stele body is made of marble. The top bears the inscription "Stele Inscription of State Preceptor Doseon and Great Master Sumi of Dogapsa Temple, Wolchulsan Mountain" written in seal script, while the stele's title is carved in intaglio in horizontal script. According to the inscription, an earlier stele to State Preceptor Doseon that had stood at this site was damaged, and this stele was erected to replace it. The inscription consists of three separate texts – two on the front and one on the back – an arrangement that differs from other steles. The three texts were composed respectively by Yi Gyeong-seok, Yi Su-in and Jeong Du-gyeong, and all are dated to the fourth month of a byeongja year of the Chongzhen era, indicating that construction began in 1636, the fourteenth year of King Injo of Joseon, and was completed in 1653, the fourth year of King Hyojong. Both sides of the stele body are densely carved in relief with a cloud-and-dragon design, rendered so realistically that it creates the illusion of a living pair of dragons ascending to the sky riding on clouds. The capstone is likewise carved from a single stone; its lower part bears twenty-eight upward-facing lotus petals, while on the upper surface, above a cloud pattern, two dragons are shown each biting one end of the capstone. Erected in 1653, this stele is distinguished from other steles first of all by its scale. Furthermore, in the style of its individual parts, the tortoise base is rendered with parallel diagonal lines instead of the tortoise-shell pattern found in other examples, and the stele body, besides being made of marble, bears a cloud-and-dragon design on both sides carved with tremendous vigour and dynamism, showing artistry of the highest standard for its period. It also indicates that the stele took eighteen years to build, providing valuable material for the study of the history of technique in this field. Furthermore, whereas most steles honour a single person, this one is dedicated to both Doseon and Master Sumi, which is also considered a distinctive feature. Although the date of erection is the same throughout, the fact that the inscription consists of three independent parts, each with a different composer, calligrapher and carver, is thought – judging from the content of the inscription – to stem from the twenty-one-year process of erecting the stele, which included three years of fundraising followed by an eighteen-year construction period, after it was decided to rebuild the earlier stele. The second inscription introduces the content of the earlier inscription and records the process from quarrying the stone to its transport, while the third inscription records the fact that its composer was commissioned to write the reverse-side text; this shows that preparations for all three inscriptions were made in the course of erecting the stele. Viewed in this light, the stele, in addition to its great scale, is valuable material for understanding the length of time required for its construction. Furthermore, from an art-historical perspective, it is valuable not only as a historical source for the study of late Joseon sculptural history, but also, given that its subjects are two figures, Doseon and Master Sumi, and given the quality of its calligraphy, as good material for the study of the history of calligraphy.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yeongam, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Treasure · 보물