King Seongdeok Reunggwibu

This is the base of a stele that once stood in front of the tomb of King Seongdeok of Unified Silla (r. 702–737). King Seongdeok was the second son of King Sinmun; when his elder brother King Hyoso died without an heir, the Hwabaek Council put him forward as king. The stele originally appears to have consisted of a stele body with a capstone above it, but both are now lost, and only this base remains. The neck of the tortoise base is broken, and claws are carved on both its front and back feet. A hexagonal pattern is carved on its back, with a square socket cut into the centre where the stele body was once fixed. Judging by the pattern on the tortoise's back and other scroll motifs, the work is thought to date from the first half of the eighth century. Although the stele body and capstone are lost, this base remains an important record of the style used for tortoise-shaped bases in the construction of royal tombs.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산