User:Waygugin/East pagoda of Hwaeomsa

The East Pagoda is a South Korean pagoda at the Buddhist temple of Hwaeomsa, in Gurye County, Jeollanam-do.

Description
The pagoda follows the typical construction methods of the Unified Silla period with a single-tier platform, five story body, and a finial. Erected in the long and steep style from 42 pieces of stone, the pagoda is positioned in the courtyard in front of Daeungjeon Hall on a stone floor. It measures 6.2 m in height while horizontally its shape more closely resembles a lozenge than the more typical square.

The platform platform is about 1.1 m high and subdivided into the base, walls and capstone. The walls were constructed from eight pieces of stone, each forming a corner or a wall surface. There are no middle pillars and, distinctively, the corner stones also encompass part of the walls. The cover stone has been made from three stones fit together. The topside has only a slight inclination while the eaves extend outward over the sides. Atop the capstone at the center is a square dais for the pagoda body.

The first floor of the body has been assembled together from five stones while the body stones of the second through fifth floors are each single pieces of stone. The roof stones are also single pieces of stone and have five eave corbels carved into the undersides. There are two-tiered daises/platforms on top of each roof stone to support the bottom of the body stone on the next floor. The tops of the roof stones have a very gentle slope and the eaves are very thin, curling up at the corners. The height of the first floor is about 80 cm, after which the heights of the subsequent floors reduce considerably. From second to fifth they are: 40 cm, 32 cm, 26 cm, and 24 cm. The non-uniformity of the height and width of the roof stones is unlike other Unified Silla pagodas.

The finial is 51 cm high. The base is a square block, atop of which is an inverted hemisphere. A short stone pillar connects it to a precious jewel shaped like a lotus bud. This style of finial is common to the pagodas of Hwaeomsa.

Design and provenience
The East Pagoda forms a pair with Hwaeomsa's West Pagoda, which is situated across the courtyard in front of Gakhwangjeon Hall. It is thought that the East Pagoda was likely the first of the two to be erected; Kim Bongnyeol writes that the stylistic differences suggests that at least 150 years separate their construction. Cheon et al. disagrees, writing that it is impossible to say with any certainty whether the two were constructed together or not. Most estimates of the pagoda's provenience place its date of construction in the the late 9th to early 10th century. However, Jeong Seonjong argues that the style of the pagoda is more demonstrative of the early Goryeo Dynasty (c.10th century).

According to Cheon et al., while the pagoda follows the sculptural techniques of the Unified Silla period, the single-tiered platform and the unusual platform walls are important architectural departures. The thin roof stones are the almost total lack of curvature in the eaves is reminiscent of Baekje.

Relics
The pagoda was disassembled and underwent repairs for a period of about one month beginning in September 1999. On the 8th of October dozens of relics were excavated from the first floor body stone with some put on exhibit the following year at the Tongdosa Museum. Among the relics were: 25 pieces of written paper; 59 pieces of jewelery including quartz, jade, and various gems; 12 sariras, a gilt bronze nimbus, a gilt bronze statue platform, and a bronze cylindrical sarira canister. The earliest of these is the statue platform, which likely dates to the Unified Silla period, while the remainder appear to be from the Goryeo and early Joseon dynasties.

According to Bak et al. the style of the canister suggests it was manufactured during the Goryeo Dynasty, although Cheon et al. writes that it displays more modern techniques of production, and might have been placed inside during the late 19th century or Japanese colonial period while repairs to the pagoda were being carried out. After casting it appears to have been given its form on a potter's wheel, including bulges decorated with engraved lines uniformly placed along the sides which create the appearance of a wave pattern. Inside the canister was a glass bottle containing crimson textiles and eight sariras measuring 1 mm to 3 mm in diameter. The bottle is malformed and was blocked with paper instead of a stopper. The nimbus is gilded in bronze only on the front side. The outer edges are surrounded by a flame pattern while the interior is decorated with rising lotus vines. At the center there is a serrated ornament which is connected to the loop on the backside. The lower section appears to have been damaged and there are two square holes on the backside which would have been used to attach the nimbus to a Buddha statue.