Joseon Sundial 'Angbuilgu' Designated as Treasure Notice

Three Sundials 'Angbuilgu'
Two Joseon Dynasty Documents and Buddhist Sculptures Announced as Treasure Designations

Angbuilgu (Collection of the National Palace Museum)

On the 30th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced its intention to designate five items, including three Joseon Dynasty astronomical instruments called sundials ‘Angbuilgu (仰釜日晷)’, as national treasures.

There are three Angbuilgu sundials in total. They are held respectively by the National Palace Museum, the Gyeongju National Museum, and the Sungshin Women’s University Museum. Among these, the one held by the National Palace Museum is a repatriated cultural asset that returned from the United States last year.

The ‘Angbuilgu’ is a sundial shaped like a cauldron facing the sky. It was first created in 1434 (the 16th year of King Sejong’s reign) by Jang Yeong-sil (蔣英實), Yi Cheon (李?), and Yi Sun-ji (李純之) under royal command. In October of that year, one was installed in front of Jongmyo Shrine and another on Hyejeonggyo Bridge (惠政橋), a bridge formerly located in Jongno, Seoul. Various forms of Angbuilgu were produced until the late Joseon period and widely distributed to palaces and government offices.

Including the one held by the National Palace Museum, the three Angbuilgu sundials exhibit excellent craftsmanship, such as silver inlay techniques on the hour lines and seasonal lines of the dial plate, inscribed seasonal characters and 24 directional characters on the horizontal plane, dragon patterns, cloud decorations, and turtle head ornaments on the base. These features indicate that they were made by skilled artisans and represent the highest quality Angbuilgu. They are also highly original in that they allow the measurement of not only time but also dates (seasons) through the shadow of the sun. Furthermore, they are representative scientific cultural assets that reflect the development of astronomical science and technology and the spirit of benevolence during the Joseon Dynasty, making them worthy of designation as treasures.

‘Zizhi Tongjian Volumes 266?270 (資治通鑑 卷二百六十六~二百七十)’ is a set of books corresponding to one volume (five books) out of a total of 294 volumes, compiled starting in 1434 (the 16th year of King Sejong’s reign) and completed in 1436 (the 18th year of King Sejong’s reign). It is a metal movable type edition printed with Chojugapin type at the Jujaso (foundry). Due to the large quantity, a complete set has not been confirmed.

The Zizhi Tongjian subject to designation is the only known copy missing these volumes and is a metal movable type edition printed with Chojugapin type. Compared to already designated materials, its printing and preservation state are excellent, giving it high bibliographic value.

The ‘Gyeongju Bunhwangsa Temple Gilt-Bronze Standing Yaksa Bhaisajyaguru Statue (慶州 芬皇寺 金銅藥師如來立像)’ is a large Buddhist statue standing 3.4 meters tall and is the only and largest gilt-bronze Buddha statue from the late Joseon period. During the dismantling and repair of the Bokwangjeon Hall at Bunhwangsa Temple in 1998, inscriptions ‘Bunhwangsa Sangryanggi (芬皇寺上樑記)’ (1616) and ‘Budongmyeong Hwalseongha Bunhwangsa Jungchangmun (府東明活城下分皇寺重創文)’ (1680) were discovered on architectural components, revealing that this Yaksa Bhaisajyaguru statue was made in 1609 (the 1st year of King Gwanghaegun’s reign) by collecting 5,360 geun of copper.

Bunhwangsa Temple is a representative famous Korean temple recognized as a place of practice for eminent monks such as the Vinaya Master Jajang (慈藏律師) and the Great Master Wonhyo (元曉大師) since the Silla period. The original gilt-bronze Yaksa Buddha enshrined here was destroyed during the Japanese invasions of 1597 (Jeongyu War), but it is believed that the temple’s identity as a Yaksa sanctuary, which has continued since the Silla period, was restored shortly after the war by reconstructing the statue on a grand scale as it stands today. The two beam-raising inscriptions from 1616 and 1680 clearly state the circumstances of the statue’s creation in 1609 and its name, providing valuable materials for the study of Buddhist statues from this period. Therefore, it is highly valuable to designate and preserve it as a treasure.

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to collect and review opinions from various sectors during the 30-day public notice period for the five items, including the ‘Angbuilgu’, and after deliberation by the Cultural Heritage Committee, designate them as national cultural heritage (treasures).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.