범어사 옹정6년명 동종연구 = A Study on the Beomeosa Temple Ongjeong 6th Year Copper Bell

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The bell tower of Beomeosa Temple has a copper bell hanged inside. The bell has writings inscribed on the body, which reads it was made by a bell caster names Kim Seong Won in the 6th-year reign of emperor Ongjeong, or 1728. The copper bell was made earlies among all temple bells remained in Busan. It is called the Beomeosa Temple Ongjeong 6th Year Copper Bell and also designated as Tangible Cutural Asset No. 90 of Busan Metropolitan City. The copper bell largely consists of round-shaped cheonpan and the body, Cheonpan has two-dragon models decorated on the top or youngnyu. The body has Sanskrit patterns rounded around the upper part and 4 lotus bud patterns mold, an image of Bodhisattva, palatine tablet, which is a symbol to pray for the stability of the dynasty, and the plates of writings or sentence board inscribed around the center. All of these components followed temple bells made in the late Joseon period, collectively called bells of complex style. Regarding the styles of local temple bells, traditional features seen in temple bells of the Unified Shilla period were unchangeably succeeded to the Koryo Period. But in the late Koryo period, temple bells of Chinese style were introduced. In the Joseon period, since then, lots of temple bells were made in complex style, which was based on the conbination of the foresaid traditional and Chinese styles. In the late Joseon Period, handiwork tranders or, accurately, private handicraftsmen played a critical role in the manufacture of temple bells. As bell casters, they made the bells that had some characteristics reflecting their respective personality. Private handicraftsman Kim Seong Won, who made the cooper bell of the Beomeosa Temple, was one of the most active and representative bell casters of the late Joseon period which included Kim Yong Am and Kim Ae Rip. He learned casting skills from his father Kim Sang Rip who served as a bell caster mainly in the Jeolla province between the late 17th and 18th centuries. Based on the skills, Kin Seong Won made lots of activities as a bell caster in that province in the ear4ly 18th century, making the bells of the Seonamsa Temple in 1700 and the Bulgapase Temple in 1702, the main building bell of the Okcheonsa Temple and Mansusa Temple bell of the Wonhyosa Temple in 1710. At last, he cast the copper bell of the Beomeosa Temple that had features found in temple bells of complex style dominant in the late Joseon period. As can be seen in the cooper bell, two dragon models on cheonpan which are combined with each other and whoes respective head is raised forward, comb-patterned yeongwak shaped lotus buds and hwamunjwa or flower patterns looking like saw-toothed wheels inside yeongwak, the image of Bodhisattva who are a little unnaturally standing up with his hands clasped, a projected horizontal stripe turned around a little above the opening of the bell and sentence board or the plates of writings arranged above the stripe belong to some of the features that are found only in temple bells made by Kim Seong Won. Largest among all temple bells he made and even more stylish, the copper bell of the Beomeosa Temple represents the perfection of his own casting skills. It still remains unclear how the cast work or the cooper bell made by Kin Seong Won, one of the most representative private handicraftsmen in the Joseon period, actually could be enshrined in the Beomeosa Temple and maintained till present. The copper bell is one of the best cultural assets in which Busan takes the highest pride, so it needs to be preserved and managed in more effective and systematic ways.