Iron Pot of Beopjusa Temple, Boeun

Shaped like a huge alms bowl, the Iron Pot of Beopjusa Temple, Boeun, is of massive size: 1.2 m high, 2.7 m in diameter, 10.8 m in circumference, with a wall thickness of 3–10 cm. The rim, which flares outward at the top and forms a projecting lip, is finished in a rounded profile; the vessel wall is about 3–5 cm thick, and the pot is estimated to weigh some twenty tonnes. Its structure is relatively simple, and since no pattern or inscription was cast onto the body, its date, maker and method of manufacture are unknown. Nevertheless, as a large vessel cast in iron, whose melting point is far higher than that of bronze, it is a valuable source for the history of technology. It is traditionally said to have been made in the Silla period, during the reign of King Seongdeok, but it is more likely to date from the Joseon period, when Beopjusa Temple's fortunes were at their height. This iron pot is an extremely rare surviving example in Korea, and it retains an almost perfectly preserved form.

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Where it is

Region

Boeun, Chungbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물