• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.38
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• pp.179-222
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• 2005

Studies prosecuted on relics in those 17 bronze workshops that have been thus far excavated show that these workshops may be roughly classified into a royal workshop, a state-operated workshop and a private workshop depending upon by whom they were operated. Workshops in the Gyeongju area developed from a small royal handicraft manufacturing to a large state-operated handicraft manufacturing scale, and then later on gradually changed to a private handicraft manufacturing industry. The royal bronze workshops were operated in a small scale, as shown from the relics excavated at Wolseong(月城), Imhaejeonji(Anapji:雁鴨池) and their neighborhood places around Hwangnam_dong(皇南洞). The state-operated bronze workshops are concentrated upon one point around Dongcheon-dong(東川洞), Gyeongju city. On the other hand, in the state-operated workshop stage, a broad street was built by a workshop, which is presumed to aim to thoroughly transport materials needed for the workshop. And the point that wastes from bronze workshops were used for road repairs indicates that road repair works were carried at the bronze workshops near the road. The private workshop as a new type of workshop was operated by the aristocracy. For that purpose, craftsmen belonging to state-operated workshops or individual artisans were absorbed into the aristocracy-operated workshops. These types of workshops were pervaded throughout the city. When private workshops came to emerge in the houses of the aristocracy, the operating subjects of workshops began to change from state-operated to private workshops. Temple workshops were located at a Buddhist temple within the Court and directly produced things needed for the court, including bronze foundries. As aforementioned, through the presence of bronze workshops operated in the Silla Court, we can identify the relationships between their technical level and trading areas and among their origin, supply and demand sources, along with phases of social life in those days.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.46-61
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• 2023

Various Buddhist metal artifacts were excavated from the Heungjeon-ri Temple site from 2014 to 2020, such as gilt-bronze openwork decorations, a bronze kundika, a lion incense burner with a handle and lion weight, and so on. The gilt-bronze openwork decoration founded from the main hall of the western area is believed to have been used for the decoration of the Buddhist temple, and it is considered to be the best example of the gilt-bronze openwork decorations of the unified Silla that have been discovered so far. The incense burner with a handle and lion weight excavated from Heungjeon-ri Temple site is the earliest example of the style. The bronze kundikas excavated at the Heungjeon-ri Temple site have a more developed style than those of Ingaksa Temple. The bronze bowl and bronze bowl with a lid are similar to those excavated from the Anapji, Hwangryongsa Temple site, and Inwangdong Temple site. So these bronze vessels seem to have spread from the capital city to the provinces. Bronze seals excavated from the Heungjeon-ri Temple site are similar to those of the Hwangnyongsa Temple site in form and font. So, it was considered that they were produced and sent by the royal palace. In addition, "梵雄官衙之印" on the seal can be said to show that Heungjeonri Temple site was related to the organization of the monks at the time. The Buddhist metal artifacts excavated from Heungjeon-ri Temple site are believed to have been used from the early to mid-9th century at the temple by the Seon Order monk who was the main character of the monument. It can be said to be an important example of how the royal palace of Unified Silla and local crafts had a two-way influence, not a one-way influence, from the first half to the middle of the 9th century.