800-year-old bronze bell designated as national treasure

A late Goryeo-era Buddhist bronze bell housed in Naeso Temple in Buan, North Jeolla Province / Courtesy of CHA

An 800-year-old Buddhist bronze bell housed in Naeso Temple in Buan, North Jeolla Province, has been designated as a national treasure, announced the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), Tuesday.

Produced in 1222, it is the largest among the surviving bronze bells from the late Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392), standing at a height of 103 centimeters and weighing approximately 420 kilograms.

Originally enshrined at the now-gone Cheongnim Temple in South Chungcheong Province, the relic was moved to its current location in 1850. The elevation of its cultural heritage status to national treasure comes six decades after it was initially designated as a treasure in 1963.

The bell is considered a prime masterpiece of its kind for displaying the intricate Goryeo-era craftsmanship while inheriting the technical and aesthetic traditions of the Unified Silla Kingdom (668-935).

At its top, a dynamically carved “yongnyu” (a loop used to hang the bell) takes the shape of a dragon about to soar through the air, while its shoulder and “dangjwa” (the bell’s striking point) are adorned with blooming lotus patterns. Another notable feature includes bands of vines encircling the bell’s crown and sound bow.

A Silla-era gold waistband excavated from Seobongchong Tomb in Gyeongju / Courtesy of CHA

“This relic is a crucial resource for researching the history and production techniques of Korean Buddhist bells,” the CHA said in a statement. “Its exceptional academic value lies in that it contains explicit information on the location of its enshrinement, as well as the commissioner and craftsmen involved.”

Alongside the bronze bell, the state agency designated five additional artifacts as treasures. These include two exquisite gold waistbands from the Silla period, each unearthed from Geumnyeongchong and Seobongchong Tombs in Gyeongju.

The other articles are a Goryeo-era celadon vessel with incised parrot patterns, as well as a Joseon-era poetry anthology and a wooden Buddhist statue housed at Seonchal Temple in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province.