Myeongbongsa Temple Munjongdae King Placenta Chamber Stele

A placenta chamber (taesil) is a stone chamber built to enshrine the placenta of a king or a member of the royal family, and a placenta chamber stele is a stele erected to commemorate such an enshrinement. This stele was erected after the placenta of King Munjong was enshrined, and it now stands within the grounds of Myeongbongsa Temple alongside a historic-site stele. It originally stood at the foot of the mountain behind the temple, but after the placenta chamber was excavated and removed during the Japanese colonial period, the monks of Myeongbongsa Temple moved the stele to its present location. The stele consists of a body set upon a turtle-shaped base and topped with a capstone. The turtle base has a head transformed into that of a dragon, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel in its mouth. The capstone is square in shape, its front carved in relief with a scene of two dragons entwined with each other. Although the carving of the turtle base is somewhat crude, the overall composition and craftsmanship are delicate. The inscriptions carved on the front and back of the stele indicate that it was erected in 1735, the eleventh year of King Yeongjo.

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Where it is

Region

Yecheon, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산