Square Stone Lantern at Maitreya Daewonji Site, Chungju

This stone lantern is presumed to have been erected in the early Goryeo period. It stands within the Jungwon Mireukdaewon-ji Site (also known as the Mireuk-ri site), designated Historic Site No. 317. The lantern consists of a base, a fire-chamber stone and a roof stone. The foundation stone of the base is partly damaged, but it can be seen that it was originally a flat, square slab. The lower pedestal stone bears a roughly carved double-petalled lotus design; although the petals are large, the stone-dressing is not neatly executed and the design appears somewhat unbalanced. A square socket was cut into the top of the lower pedestal stone to hold and fix the shaft stone in place. The shaft stone is a square pillar in plan. Its surface bears a jewel-shaped ansang - a decorative niche carved into Korean stonework - within which a symmetrical floral design is carved, giving it an ornamental character. The upper pedestal stone bears an upturned lotus design at its lower edge, carved more finely than that of the lower pedestal stone. The double-petalled lotus design here is arranged so that each face opens outward to left and right from a central lotus, contrasting with the design on the lower pedestal stone. No separate fire-chamber stone was made; instead, round pillars were set up at each corner to support the roof stone. The underside of the roof stone was dressed flat and fitted with a round hole running through it. The eaves slope down at a gentle incline, and the hip-ridge sections are slightly raised in the stone-dressing so as to resemble ridge lines. A square base currently rests on the finial, but the remaining finial elements appear to have been lost. The lantern is well preserved overall, and the shaft stone and fire-chamber stone show a distinctive stone-dressing technique that merits attention. The lantern at the Mireuk-ri site departs somewhat from the typical form of stone lanterns and shows an unusual method of assembly. In particular, its type of fire-chamber construction was adopted in only a small number of stone lanterns built during the Goryeo period, and examples of this kind are found at temples built in and around Gaegyeong, the Goryeo capital. That a lantern of this style was erected at the Mireuk-ri site, a considerable distance from the Goryeo capital, provides useful evidence for understanding how the stone lantern style spread to the provinces. Other stone lanterns with this same fire-chamber construction are found at Gwanchoksa Temple, Hyeonhwasa Temple and Gaeguksa Temple. Most of these lanterns were built during the early to middle Goryeo period, and this style was applied only at particular temples.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Chungju, Chungbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산