Andong Seok Lion

This is a pair of stone lion statues kept at Andong National University. They were moved here from the former site of Andong Hyanggyo (local Confucian school); their original location and exact use are unknown. The Yeonggaji, a local gazetteer, records that lions stood "to the left and right of the main gate of Andong Hyanggyo," and when these statues were moved, lotus-patterned pedestal stones and other elements were found piled around them, leading some to suppose they may originally have been used at a Buddhist temple. Each lion is about 1 metre long, with its body stretched forward at length, and both its front and back legs are equally truncated. Lion sculptures in this stretched-out pose have existed since the Unified Silla period, and can also be seen on the Twin-lion Stone Lantern of Beopjusa Temple (National Treasure) and the Twin-lion Stone Lantern of Jungheungsanseong Fortress (National Treasure). Overall the carving is realistic and concise, and the lions are rendered with plump, rounded bodies, suggesting that they were made in the Goryeo period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Andong, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료