Steamer of Hwabangsa Temple, Namhae

There are not many surviving examples of steamers preserved at old temples. The Hwabangsa steamer is an artefact that retains the typical form of steamers made at temples in the late Joseon period, and it provides material for understanding the temple's standing at the time it was made. On the back of its slightly obliquely everted rim is an engraved inscription reading 'Hwabangsa Seoam...', and the fact that its base was cast in a pierced, openwork form represents a level of workmanship far superior to that of pottery steamers. Because an openwork steamer lets heat pass through and circulate so much faster, it both shortens the time needed to cook rice cakes or rice and improves the accuracy of the cooking. Engraved inscriptions of this kind are also found on bronze incense burners and ceiling panels from around the early eighteenth century, the same technique seen here. This artefact therefore demonstrates its value as material for the study of bronze vessels and furnishings of the late Joseon period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Namhae, Gyeongnam

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료