‘gyeongseonsa’myeong Bronze Drum

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2008

Category

Craft

Designated year

2018

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 용산구 서빙고로 137 (용산동6가, 국립중앙박물관)

Coordinates

37.523500, 126.980100Museum-based location

One of the musical instruments used for daily prayer services at a Buddhist monastery, this bronze drum is engraved with an inscription stating that it was made in 1218 under the auspices of six military officials and was dedicated to Gyeongseonsa Temple. The face of the drum is engraved with four concentric circles, with a lotus ovary at the center forming the striking point. The ovary is surrounded by a circular band of sixteen lotus petals, while the space between the two outer concentric circles contains a pattern of auspicious clouds. The bronze drum is regarded as culturally significant due to the sound hole made in its side, as it is the earliest Goryeo bronze drum to display such a feature. Given that the bronze drums of Goryeo discovered to date are largely basin-shaped and single-headed, this artifact is particularly noteworthy because it is a rare example of a double-headed metal drum featuring a sound hole on the rim and an inscription showing its ownership dating from thirteenth-century Goryeo.

Location