Haesu Avalokitesvara Gongjung Reliquary Pagoda Stele and Reliquary Set (set) of Naksansa Temple, Yangyang

Considered purely in artistic terms, the Gongjung Reliquary Pagoda of Naksansa Temple in Yangyang is difficult to call a first-rate stone monument, but the following points are well worth noting. First, its absolute construction date has been established as 1692, making it a valuable reference point for dating related stone monuments of a similar period, including monks' stupas. Second, it deserves recognition as a new addition to the very rare surviving examples of Buddha-relic pagodas built in the form of monks' stupas. Third, both in style and in detail it bears considerable resemblance to the stone lanterns of Joseon royal tombs, offering a clue to the relationship between the two and, more broadly, to the stylistic influence between temple stonework and other categories of stone monuments. The Gongjung Reliquary Stele, taken on its own, does not depart significantly from the general form of late-Joseon stone steles, so it is difficult to recognise independent value in it alone. Considered together with the Reliquary Pagoda and the reliquary set recovered from within it, however, the value of this stele is doubled, since all three were made as a coherent group with the single purpose of enshrining the Buddha's relics and possess mutually complementary functions and meanings. In particular, the fact that the content of the stele's inscription matches that of a document forming part of the reliquary set clearly demonstrates how the pagoda, the stele and the reliquary set exist in this interrelated way. The reliquary set recovered from the pagoda was retrieved undamaged, exactly as it had first been interred, giving it high scholarly value. It is a notable example demonstrating that, even by the late Joseon period, the traditional method of enshrining relics was still maintained — making a nested set of reliquaries, a bottle inside a gold case inside a silver case inside a bronze case, and interring the relics within them. The eleven silk wrapping cloths recovered as part of the set are also of great value for the study of Korean textile history, given their good condition, vivid colours and variety of patterns. Above all, what matters is that all three related objects — the pagoda, the stele, and the reliquary set — have survived intact together, with none missing; it is very rare for such a complete group to be transmitted together in this way. Each object has considerable value on its own, but their significance is further strengthened when they are preserved and managed together.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yangyang, Gangwon

Designation

Treasure · 보물