Bronze Bell held at Ansimsa Temple

This bronze bell was originally enshrined in the main hall of Ansimsa Temple, but during the Korean War it was taken away and enshrined at Boseoksa Temple in Geumsan, Chungcheongnam-do, before being returned to Ansimsa in 2004. According to the casting record carved in relief on the lower part of the bell's body, it was made in 1760 (the twenty-fifth year of the Qianlong reign) at Ansimsa Temple of Daedunsa Temple in Gosan; it weighs 370 geun and was cast by craftsmen including Baek Hong-jin and Yu Do-yong. The bell is compact in scale, with a total height of 97 cm, a dragon-shaped hanger 17.5 cm high, a sound tube 20.5 cm high, and a diameter of 63 cm. At the top, a single dragon holding a wish-granting jewel in its mouth is carved with its body curved in an S-shape, as if surging forward. The dragon holds its head slightly raised and plants its large feet forcefully, its mouth opened wide with its curled tongue gripping the jewel inside, while its tail coils around the sound tube, giving an impression that is both tense and vigorous. Behind the dragon's head is a cylindrical sound tube, its body carved with a band of scrolling floral design and its top finished with an ornately blooming lotus flower. The body of the bell flares slightly at the mouth but is overall compact and well balanced. Where the crown plate meets the body of the bell, the join is marked by a fine line, and below it the upper band is decorated with two rows of circular medallions containing Sanskrit letters. This technique of decorating the upper band with Sanskrit letters is a feature of the late Joseon period, apparently influenced by Chinese bells, which place Sanskrit letters on their upper bands in the same way. Below the upper band, at a slight interval, trapezoidal nipple-panel bands and bodhisattva figures are arranged alternately. The border of each nipple panel is decorated with floral designs resembling chrysanthemums set within scrolling vine stems, their realistic flower shapes standing out, and nine nipple bosses are arranged within each panel. Rising plumply above twelve-petalled lotus flowers, the bosses are rendered thickly, giving a sense of volume. Between the nipple panels, four standing bodhisattva figures are cast, each turning gracefully to the left; wearing an elaborate crown and standing on a lotus pedestal with a circular halo behind the head, hands joined in prayer, they closely resemble the bodhisattva style seen in late Joseon Buddhist paintings. The lower part of the bell is encircled by two raised lines, between which a decorative band is carved in relief. The inscription runs around the bell, about 13.5 cm up from the lower edge of the body.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Wanju, Jeonbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산