Yangpyeong Jipyeong-ri Three-story Stone Pagoda

The pagoda now stands in the grounds of Jije Elementary School in Jipyeong-ri. Most of its original members have been lost; only the first-storey body stone and the roof stones (okgaeseok, the stones that cap a stone pagoda or lantern like a roof) of the first to third storeys are original, while the remaining parts have been newly made in repair. An octagonal finial base stone, thought to belong to a different stone structure, has been placed on top. Corner pilasters are set at the edges of the first-storey body stone, and within each face a single Buddha of the Four Directions is carved. All the Buddha figures sit in the full lotus position on a lotus pedestal of upturned petals, with a halo shown behind the head. Each has a cranial protuberance and hair rendered as snail-shell curls, and the neck bears the three lines (samdo) symbolising the three stages of existence; overall the carving technique is consistent, though the hand gestures differ for each figure. The style of the Four-Directions Buddhas resembles that of the three-storey pagoda at the Jinjeonsa Temple Site and of the Four-Directions Buddhas on the pagoda at Topdong, Cheongju. In particular, the figures show a strong affinity with the Topdong, Cheongju Four-Directions Buddhas in the treatment of the upturned-lotus pedestal, posture, drapery folds, halo, and facial features. The roof stones are relatively small, with four-tiered eaves supports. The eaves are horizontal, with a slight upward curve at the corners. The sloping roof surface descends towards the eaves in a gentle curve. The finial consists of a square base and a stone that appears to be a canopy-shaped ornament. Judging from the carving technique of the Four-Directions Buddhas and the treatment of the roof stones, the Yangpyeong Jipyeong-ri Three-story Stone Pagoda is presumed to have been built in the early Goryeo period, around the 10th century. It is especially significant in art-historical terms as a rare example in Gyeonggi-do of a three-storey pagoda whose body stone is carved with Four-Directions Buddhas.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산