Temple Bell of Chiljangsa Temple, Anseong

Standing 120 cm high with a mouth diameter of 75 cm, this bell is relatively large among temple bells of the late Joseon period. According to its inscription, it was cast in 1782, the sixth year of King Jeongjo. The body of the bell is narrow at the top and widens towards the bottom, descending in an almost straight line from the centre. At the crown of the bell is a dragon-shaped hanger formed of a pair of dragons joined in a single body. The upper and lower bands usually found on such bells are omitted; instead, a thick raised line encircling the centre of the body divides it into upper and lower sections. The upper section bears Sanskrit-letter medallions, lotus-petal border panels enclosing the bell's nipples, and standing bodhisattva figures. The bodhisattvas stand on lotus flowers with hands joined in prayer, each with a round halo behind the head. Below this, in the blank space between the middle band and the band near the base, inscriptions are cast in relief within rectangular frames of varying size. These record the names of the artisans who made the bell: Sin Mong-tae, Yi Yeong-tae, Yi Yeong-hui, Yi Su-seong and Yi Yeong-jun. Among them, Yi Yeong-hui was an artisan working in the tradition of Yi Man-dol, who was active mainly in the Chungcheong region from the mid- to late eighteenth century. With its somewhat elongated form, its simplified yet formulaic surface decoration, and bodhisattva figures that have lost their earlier sense of balance, this bell well illustrates the gradual decline of temple-bell casting from the high point of the late Joseon period. At the same time, its inscription makes it a valuable work for studying the activities of professional artisans in the late eighteenth century.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Anseong, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산