• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.104
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• pp.10-39
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• 2023

Seongjusa Temple was founded in Boryeong in Chungcheongnam-do Province by Monk Muyeom (800-888), better known as Nanghye Hwasang. After returning from studying in China, Muyeom stayed in the Silla capital city of Gyeongju for a period. He later settled in a temple that was managed by the descendants of Kim In-mun (629-694). He then restored a burned-out temple and opened it in 847 as a Seon (Zen) temple named Seongjusa. It prospered and grew to become a large-scale temple with several halls within its domains. The influence of Seongjusa in the region can be seen in the Historical Record of Seongjusa Temple on Sungamsan Mountain, which relates that there were seventy-three rooms within the domains of the temple. What is most notable in the record is that the temple is referred to as "栴檀林九間," which means either "a structure with nine rooms built with Chinese juniper wood" or "a place that houses Chinese juniper wood and has nine rooms." Regardless of the interpretation, Seongjusa Temple had a large amount of juniper wood. Around this time, the term "juniper" referred to the olibanum tree (Boswellia sacra) native to the islands of Java and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. It is presumed that at some point after the death of Jang Bogo, the maritime forces that controlled the southwestern coast of Korea may have acquired a large amount of Southeast Asian olibanum wood and offered it to Seongjusa Temple. During the reign of King Munseong, Kim Yang (808-857) patronized Seongjusa Temple and its head monk Muyeom, who enjoyed a lofty reputation in the region. He sought to strengthen his own position as a member of the royal lineage of King Muyeol and create a bridge between the royal family and Seongjusan Buddhist sect. The court of King Wonseong designated Seongjusa Temple as a regional base for the support of royal authority in an area where anti-royal sentiment remained strong. Monk Muyeom is believed to have created an iron Buddha to protect the temple, enlighten the people, and promote regional stability. Given that the Seongjusa community had expanded to include more than 2,000 followers, the iron Buddha at Seongjusa Temple would have been perceived as an image that rallied the local residents. It is assumed that there were two iron Buddhas at Seongjusa Temple. The surviving parts of these Buddhas and the size of their pedestals suggest that they were respectively enshrined in the Geumdang Main Hall and the Samcheonbuljeon Hall of Three Thousand Buddhas. It is presumed that the first iron Buddha in Geumdang was a large statue over two meters in height and the second one was medium-sized with the height over one meter. The Historical Record of Seongjusa Temple on Sungamsan Mountain contains the phrase "改創選法堂五層重閣" which indicates that a multistoried Geumdang was newly built to enshrine a large Buddha sculpture like the first iron Buddha when Seongjusa Temple was founded. Also, according to the Stele of Seongjusa Temple and the surviving finger fragments, the first Buddha was making the fear-not and wish-granting (abhayavarada) mudras. The main Buddha of Seongjusa Temple is possibly Nosana Buddha, just like the main Buddhas at the contemporaneous temples Silsangsa, Borimsa, and Samhwasa. Given that Monk Muyeom studied Hwaeom teachings in his early years and received royal patronage upon his return, it is believed that the retro tendencies of the Hwaeom school, centered on the royal family of the Silla Dynasty, were reflected in Seongjusa temple.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.104
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• pp.70-100
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• 2023

The celadon made in the Goryeo era, a time when Buddhism was flourishing in Korea, naturally contains many elements of Buddhist culture. Among them, inlaid celadon with Sanskrit inscriptions bears a close relationship with esoteric Buddhism. However, the research on deciphering the Sanskrit inscriptions has made little progress due to the small number of extant examples. However, the four recent excavations at the No. 23 kiln site in Sadang-ri, Gangjin have yielded new materials that allow the existing materials to be categorized into several types. The results obtained through the reading and interpretation of the inscriptions are as follows: First, the Sanskrit characters inlaid on the celadon were parts of mantras. Inscriptions where only one character is apparent cannot be deciphered, but scholars have revealed that others are written in the manner of a wheel mantra represent the "Mantra for Purifying the Dharma-Realm," "Six-Syllable Mantra of the Vidyaraja," "Sweet Dew Mantra," "Jewel Pavilion Mantra," "Mantra of the Savior Bodhisattva," "Dharani of the Mind of the Budha of Infinite Life," and "Mantra for Extinguishing Evil Rebirth." Each mantra was written in Siddham script. Second, they are believed to have been produced during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries based on the arrangement of the inscriptions and the way the "Sweet Dew Mantra" is included in the "40 Hands Mantra." In particular, the celadon pieces with a mantra inlaid in a concentric manner are dated to the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries based on their production characteristics. Third, the interpretation of the inlaid mantras suggests that they all refer to the "Shattering Hell" and "Rebirth in the Pure Land." Based on this, it can be concluded that some of these inlaid celadon wares with mantras may have been used in Buddhist rituals for the dead, such as the ritual for feeding hungry ghosts (施餓鬼會). Also, because the Sadang-ri No. 23 kiln site and the "ga" area of the site are believed to have produced royal celadon, it is likely that these rituals were performed at the royal court or a temple under its influence. Fourth, this inlaid Goryeo celadon with Sanskrit mantras was not a direct influence of the ceramics of Yuan China. It emerged by adopting Yuan Chinese Buddhist culture, which was influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, into Goryeo Korea's existing esoteric practices. Fifth, the celadon wares inlaid with a Sanskrit mantra reveal a facet of the personal esoteric rituals that prevailed in late Goryeo society. Changes in esotericism triggered by the desire for relief from anxieties can be exemplified in epitaph tablets and coffins that express a shared desire for escaping hell and being born again in paradise. Sixth, the inlaid celadon with Sanskrit mantras shares some common features with other crafts. The similarities include the use of Siddham Sanskrit, the focus on Six-Syllable Mantra of the Vidyaraja, the correspondence with the contents of the mantras found on Buddhist bells, wooden coffins, and memorial tablets, and their arraignment in a similar manner with rooftiles. The major difference between them is that the Mantra for Extinguishing Evil Rebirth and the Sweet Dew Manta have not yet been found on other craftworks. I believe that the inscriptions of Sanskrit mantras are found mainly on inlaid celadon vessels due to their relatively low production cost and efficiency.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.36
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• pp.241-266
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• 2003

Glass pieces excavated from Mireuksa Temple dated $7^{th}$ century A.D. were characterized by chemical composition, specific gravity and melting point. Lead isotope ratios of lead glasses were also compared with those of lead ore to attribute which lead ore was delivered for making lead glass. It was known that some lead glasses found in Japan were similar with those of Mireuksa Temple as comparing the data of chemical composition and lead isotope ratios. Characteristics of lead glass from Mireuksa Temple Thirty five glass pieces of Mireuksa Temple were analyzed for five oxides and found that all was lead glass system(PbO-$SiO_2$) with the range of 70~79% for PbO and 20~28% for $SiO_2$. The concentrations of oxides such as $Al_2O_3$, $Fe_2O_3$ and CuO were below 0.4%, 0.3% and 0.9%, respectively. Principal component analysis(PCA) as a statistical method was carried out to classify glasses with the similarities of chemical concentrations. The result of PCA has shown that three groups of glasses were created according to the excavation positions and two major oxides(PbO and $SiO_2$) greatly contributed to the dispersion of glasses on principal component 1(PC1) axis and trace element oxides($Al_2O_3$ and $Fe_2O_3$) for PC2 axis. Most of lead glasses were greenish by the efficacy of iron and copper oxides and some showed yellowish-green. The gravity of lead glasses was about 4.4~5.4 and estimated melting point was near $670^{\circ}C$. Lead isotope ratios of glasses were analyzed and found quite close to a lead ore from the Bupyeong mine in Gyeonggi-do. Comparison with lead glasses found in Japan Lead glasses of Mireuksa Temple were compared with those of Japan on the basis of chemical and physical data. Chemical compositions of Japanese lead glasses dated $7^{th}{\sim}8^{th}$ century A.D. were nearly similar with those of Mireuksa Temple but lead isotope ratios of those were separated into two groups. Three distribution maps of lead ores of Korea, Japan and China with lead isotope ratios were applied for lead glasses found in Japan. The result have shown that the locations of lead glasses from Fukuoka Prefecture coincided with the region of northen part of Korea and similar with those of Mireuksa Temple and lead glasses from Nara Prefecture dated $8^{th}$ century A.D. were located in the region of Japanese lead ore. This research has demonstrated that lead glasses of Mireuksa Temple conveyed to Miyajidake site, Fukuoka Prefecture around $7^{th}$ century A.D. and glass melting pots and glass beads excavated from Nara Prefecture confirmed the first use of Japanese lead ore for production of lead glasses from the end of $7^{th}$ century A.D.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.27
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• pp.5-22
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• 2006

Mireuksa is a temple that was established in the Baekjea Period and continued around to the 16thcentury. The sites of the temple throughout diverse periods such as the United Shilla Period, KoryuPeriod, and Chosun Period including the one of the early temple in the late Baekjea Period were discovered. In those temple sites, there were lots of diverse artifacts discovered including artifacts in the Bronze Age. In this study, the compositions of four bronze bells excavated from Mireuksa site in Iksan were analyzed and the manufacturing technique of bronze bells was studied through the observation of microstructure. Also, the analytical cases of ancient bronze bells were collected and compared. Furthermore, the provenance study of the bronze bells site was attempted with the Pbisotope ratio. The results aim to offer crucial keys for discovering the aspect of society as well as information about the origin, development, and the route of propagation of ancient technologies. Bronze bell No. 1 showed an unexpected composition as Cu was found 98.5% in it. There were shown twins which were created by annealing and an even phase in the fine grains. It was also shown that bronze bell No. 2 and 4 had a high content of Pb although they showed a similar composition with general bronze bells in terms of Sn content. As shown in the analysis characteristics table of Korean bronze bell of this study, the ancient bronze bell used Pb of which content was limited to 2.12% in general, however, the results showed 15.5% and 13.2% respectively, which is an excessive amount. Asa result of analyzing inclusion in the microstructure of bronze bell No. 2, it was found that sulfide group mineral was used since there appeared S(14.55%). Also, it was proven that $CuFeS_2$ or$Cu_5FeS_4$ was used as a raw material because there was a small amount of Fe. As a result of analyzing inclusion of bronze bell No. 4, the bronze bell sample contained S(13.43%) and it is thought that sulfide group mineral was used, however, it had no Fe. Therefore, it is not connected to $CuFeS_2$ which is the main mineral of Korea. In addition, a strain line was shown with processing in bronze bell No. 2 and 4. As a result of provenance study of bronze bell No. 2 and 4 using the Pb isotope ratio, they or their raw materials are estimated to come from the southern China. Bronze bell No. 3 showed only Cu and Sn, and it is featured with a relatively low amount of Sn(6.63%). The microstructure has only phase, andintergranular corrosion was highly in progress.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.213-228
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• 2010

The composition of Chinese ceramic shards has been the subject of analysis in Europe, beginning in the 18th century, and in China from the 1950s. Scientific studies of traditional Korean shards commenced in the United States and Germany in the 1980s, and studies within Korea began in the 1990s. From analysis of a large systematically collected dataset, the composition of porcelain produced during the Kory. dynasty, including 21 celadon and 10 whiteware groups, was characterized and compared with that of Chinese ceramics. The average composition of the body and glaze of several shards (usually three to five) from each group was determined, enabling comparisons between groups. The results show that the majority of groups were derived from mica-quartz porcelain stone, which was commonly used in Yuezhou, Jingdezhen, and other southern Chinese kilns. The composition of glazes includes clay and flux components; the latter were typically wood ash and limestone, initially as burnt but later as crushed forms. The earliest of the Kangjin glazes contained substantially less titanium oxide than did the Yuezhou glazes, which were typically formulated from body material and wood ash. The present study provides a comparative framework for the growing number of analytical investigations associated with excavations occurring in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.429-439
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• 2011

We investigated the flora of Imja-do(Isl.), an island of the Shinan archipelago, located in Imja-myeon, Shinan-gun, Jollanamo-do and discussed the vascular plants found there. Twenty-four separate field trips (100days) were completed from August of 1997 to October of 2009. As a result, we identified the distribution of 526 taxa in Imja-do(Isl.), comprising 112 families, 331 genera, 463 species, 1 subspecies, 60 varieties, and 2 forms. There are a total of 78 taxa of floristic regional indicator plants and one taxon of level II endangered species, Millettia japonica, as designated by the Korean Ministry of the Environment. The floristic regional indicator plants are as follows; four taxa of level V such as Utricularia bifida, two taxa of level IV such as Cladium chinense, 14 taxa of level III such as Aletris spicata, three taxa of level II, and 55 taxa of level I. In addition, one endangered species (EN), Nymphoides coreana, five vulnerable species (VU),such as Ilex cornuta, and three near-threatened species (NT) such as Utricula riaracemosa, were found in the investigated area. The plants of Imja-do(Isl.) are classified into four types based on the plant geographical origin, as follows: 1) boreal plants advancing southward in a glacial period, 2) temperate plants spreading eastward from the Himalayas and China to Japan passing through the south coast of Korea, 3) subtropical plants, and 4) indigenously developed endemic species of the warm-temperate region of East Asia.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.299-310
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• 2016

The Stele for Buddhist Monk Wonjong at Godalsa Temple Site was destroyed a long time ago. Only the tortoise-shaped pedestal and the ornamental capstone in the form of a hornless dragon remain at the site and the broken stele body is stored at the National Museum of Korea today. The stele is made of two kinds of rocks that are coarse-grained biotite granite for the pedestal and the capstone, and fine-grained biotite granite including hornblende assemblages and feldspar phenocrysts for the stele body. The coarse-grained biotite granite of the pedestal and capstone showed same magnetic susceptibility and lithological characteristics with biotite granite outcrops in Yeoju area, whereas the fine-grained granite of the stele body did not. To find a provenance of the stele body stone, we investigated Korean granites in terms of magnetic susceptibility, lithology and old recordings about construction process of the stele. As a result, Haeju granite is the most likely to be a cognate rock of the stele body stone as it has same texture and lithological characteristics like color, hornblende assemblages, mineral composition and magnetic susceptibility. It is imported from Haeju (North Korea) to South Korea via China commercially, and the most suitable for a replica stone of the stele body.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.335-345
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• 2009

This paper presents investigations on 60 glass beads excavated from floorless tombs of Eunpyeong Newtown site to figure out composition and lead isotope ratio by SEM-EDS and TIMS, which show the difference between their compositions and Pb provenance of lead glass. The results of the composition analysis are that excavated glass are mainly divided into Potash glass($K_2O$-CaO-$SiO_2$) and Potash-lead glass($K_2O$-PbO-$SiO_2$) and the samples excavated from III-3 floorless tombs No.1005 are presumed not glass but Quartz. The transparent 9 lead glasses excavated from II-3 floorless tomb No.101 and III-3 floorless tomb No.908 seem to be manufactured by the same raw material at same site because the concentration of their compositions are well accorded with each other and deviations of them are very limited. As a result of principal component analysis(PCA), glass beads excavated are largely assort to two groups, Potash glass and Potash lead glass as well. That is, glass beads excavated from Eunpyeoung Newtown sites are quite different two types of main composition. In addition, the results of Pb provenance analysis used in lead glass confirm that most lead glass are significantly correlated with galena of northern China.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.22-44
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• 2022

Lacquer, in addition to high-end crafts such as lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, was an important strategic material used in a wide range of fields such as industry, architecture, and munitions during the Japanese colonial era. In particular, as the demand for lacquer used in munitions soared in the 1940s when the war started, a ticket system was introduced to restrict its distribution. Meanwhile, Japan experienced a chronic shortage of lacquer as a result of the rapidly increasing demand for it, and thus went on to import Chinese lacquer after the late 19th century. After the 1910s, the market share of Chinese lacquer reached 90%, and the local situation in China began to affect the supply and demand for lacquer in Japan. To counteract the issue, the Japanese government increased the production of lacquer in Joseon. As for the project to increase lacquer production in Joseon, objective indicators were prepared through a number of tests in the 1910s and 20s, which paved the way for the project to begin in earnest in the 1930s. Lacquer trees were planted and training classes on how to collect lacquer were held throughout the country. The Japanese government promoted the lacquer production industry as a promising side job for Koreans. The project, implemented in various parts of the country, reaped fruitful results, and it provided the basis for lacquer production in Korea that has continued to this day. At that time, the major regions in the southern part of the country where the project was concentrated were Wonju, Okcheon, and Hamyang, regions that are still known today as major production sites. The improved method of collecting lacquer taught to Koreans by the Japanese has now become the main method of collecting lacquer in Korea. This study attempts to identify the current status of the project to increase lacquer production through various records from the Japanese colonial era with a view to contributing to the study of modern lacquer craft history.

• Art History and Visual Culture
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• no.21
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• pp.126-147
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• 2018

This paper is to find the theme and meaning of the Beauvais Grotesque tapestry considered a conundrum. The three works are chosen from Beauvais Grotesque consisting of six tapestries, which are The Offering to Pan, The Musician and Dancers, The Camel in the J. Paul Getty Museum. I analyzed these works by dividing them into grotesque ornaments, chinoiserie motifs, and scenography. The Offering to Pan shows the influence of Raphael's Grotesque tapestry, but Beauvais work followed the design of Jean Berain's Grotesque with arabesque. In The Musician and Dancers, chinese ceramics, textiles, and Chinese people in edge were noted. Especially, the Chinese with yellow skin in the border reveals the European gaze on China at that time. In the 18th century, Chinoiserie was prevalent through stage designs rather than books. The Camel, playing Brighella, makes it clear that this tapestry is a stage of Comedia dell'arte. The characteristic of Comedia is a mixture of genres such as music and dance, with no scripting 'improvisation.' Features of Comedia are 'improvisation' without a script and a mixture of genres such as music and dance. Thus, the Grotesque tapestry transfers the stage of the Comedia into threads woven. In addition, the horizontal stage decoration with the disappearance of the perspective vanishing point is related to the era of regent of Philippe d'Orl?ans (1674-1723). Above all, the grotesque, Chinoiserie, and scenography are all fantasies separated from reality. Therefore, the Beauvais Grotesque tapestry represents of 'improvisation' and 'fantasy' in which there is no narrative theme or meaning, as if the script of Comedia did not exist.