Heungjeonrisaji Chulto Cheongdongjeong Bottle, Samcheok

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2297

Category

Craft

Era

통일신라시대

Designated year

2025

Location

춘천시, 강원특별자치도— 강원특별자치도 춘천시 우석로 70(석사동, 국립춘천박물관)

Coordinates

37.866100, 127.731800Museum-based location

This English description was machine-translated and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the original Korean text for details.

The ritual water-pouring vessel comprises a Buddhist ceremonial vessel designated for storing purified water, representing an essential implement within Buddhist ritual practice. Worn by traveling monks as component of their portable belongings and presented as ritual water offering before Buddha statuary, the water vessel employs a bulbous torso form with a spout aperture on the lateral surface and a pointed pouring nozzle positioned atop the vessel body. The bronze ritual water-pouring vessel excavated from Heungjeonri Temple site in Samcheok was discovered in 2016 at the eastern pavilion site number one at the Heungjeonri Temple archaeological site. The Heungjeonri Temple site, from which the bronze vessel was recovered, is presumed to have functioned as a significant regional monastic center during the Silla through Goryeo periods, a supposition substantiated by the discovery of a stone monument fragment bearing 'National Ecclesiastical Administrator' designation recovered in 2016 from the western pavilion site, with the monument's subject identified as a monk of Seon lineage with the administrative rank of minor administrator, who achieved religious maturation during the Hamtong period (860-873 CE) and entered nirvana during that era. The designated vessel integrates the body, spout, and pouring nozzle into unified bronze casting, with the spout cap manufactured separately and attached through copper rivets. The vessel exhibits exceptionally smooth surface processing and refined execution, demonstrating high technical and formal accomplishment. The overall compositional proportions achieve harmonious balance and aesthetic coherence. The Samcheok Heungjeonri Temple site excavated bronze ritual water-pouring vessel represents clearly documented archaeological context with remarkable preservation of all structural components despite extended subsurface interment, remaining as exceptionally rare surviving example for Unified Silla period ritual vessel study. Consequently, this work possesses substantial scholarly value alongside exceptional artistic merit.

Location