| Title |
Features and Types of The Early China-Stupa in Yun-Kang Caves |
| Authors |
Cheon Deuk-Youm ; Lee Young-Mi |
| Keywords |
Yun-Kang Caves ; Stupa-type Relief ; Wooden Many-storied Building Style ; Overturned-bowl Style |
| Abstract |
In studying the Korean stupas, it is very important to consider the Stupa-types of the Gandhara and the early ones of China. Thus this thesis tries to study the early Stupa-types of China through investigating the Stupa-typed Relievo of Yun-Kang Caves, the eternity where the Stupa-type carvings and architectural shapes are preserved quite well up to the present. Since we divided the Yun-Kang Caves into three stages according to the eras, the findings of this research of the types of the plan, elevation, and ceiling and the features of the Stupa-type relief are as follows.
1. The styles of Yun-Kang Caves
The plan of the first-stage is horseshoe typed, almost ellipse, and the ceiling dome-shaped. In the second-stage, the plan is rectangular with its tower pillar centered on the main chamber, and the ceiling is flat. In the third-stage, various types of caves are considered to have changed from the previous stage and overall, the plan is rectangular or square and the ceiling flat, in principle. Very rarely, there are elliptic plan and some caves are arranged with rectangular stone-pillars in the center of the plan.
2. The styles of the Stupa-type Relief of Yun-Kang Caves
In the first-stage, The wooden many-storied building types which is divided into the foundation, the superimposed stories of stupa, the stupa final and having post, cross beam, ㅅ-a letter truss post, and roofs appeared. And in the second-stage, there are four types; one is stupa-pillar type with the pillars situated in the center of the chamber or on the wall, and the second, the double-storied type with many stories superimposed. And the third is a plat-cover style with its cover is much like outlook of the balcony (or canopy) shape putting up a tent and the other is overturned-bowl style which belongs to the stupa from India-the original tower; centering on the mono-story shape with the outlook of overturned-bowl plus the decoration on the parts of superimposed stories of stupa and the foundation. And lastly in the third-stage, there appear various types such as the wooden many-storied building style and overturned-bowl.
As shown in the study results, the Stupa-type Relief of Yun-Kang Caves can be said to be the overall stockroom of the stupas emerging from Buddhistic countries of the time including India. Through the Yun-Kang Caves, we can examine the type of the early shapes of Chinese stupas, and, in addition it, it can be said to be meaning for us to be able to find out the early roots of Korean stupas as well. |