Bell of King Seongdeok
Korean name
Hangul:	성덕대왕신종
Hanja:	聖德大王神鍾
Revised Romanization:	Seongdeok daewang sinjong
McCune-Reischauer:	Sŏngdŏk taewang sinchong

The Bell of King Seongdeok is the largest extant bell in Korea and one of the largest in the world. The full Korean name means "Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok the Great." It was also known as the Bell of Bongdeoksa Temple, where it was first housed. Silla bell of King Seongdeok, South Korea. ... For other uses, see Hangul (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Sino-Korean be merged into this article or section. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean (Korean: 국어의 로마자 표기법; 國語의 로마字 表記法) is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... A bell is a simple sound-making device. ... Korea (Korean: 한국 or 조선, see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ...

It is commonly known as the Emille Bell in English. Emille, pronounced "em-ee-leh," is an ancient Silla term for "mommy." According to legend, when the bell was first cast, it would not ring. So it was melted down again and the priest of the temple for which the bell was being made was told in a dream that if a baby was cast into the metal the bell would ring. When the bell was recast and struck, it produced the sound of "em-ee-leh", like the cries of the sacrificed baby. Silla (also spelled Shilla, traditional dates 57 BCE - 935 CE) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. ...

It was designated as the 29th national treasure of Korea on December 12, 1962. It measures 3.33 meters high, 2.27 meters in diameter, and 11 to 25 centimeters in wall thickness. The notes could be heard 40 miles away on a clear day. The bell weighs about 25 tons. It is now stored in the National Museum of Gyeongju. The Buddha statue at Seokguram Grotto, the 24th Korean national treasure. ... December 12 is the 346th day (347th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 19 days remaining. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Gyeongju is a city (see Subdivisions of South Korea) and prominent tourist destination in eastern South Korea. ...

The bell was commissioned by King Gyeongdeok of Silla to honor his father King Seongdeok the Great. However the bell was not completely cast until the reign of King Hyegong, the son of King Gyeondeok, in 771 CE. King Gyeongdeok of Silla was a Korean king who reigned from (742-­765). ... Hyegong of Silla (756-780, r. ...

Description

The bell is considered a masterpiece of Unified Silla art. Unified Silla is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla after 668. ...

It is unique among Korean bronze bells because it has a hollow tube that controls its sound. The hook of the bell is in the shape of a dragon's head. There are many relief patterns on the bell. There are flower patterns along the rim and shoulder. There are also reliefs of lotus flowers, grass reliefs, and a pair of two apsarases (heavenly maidens). The striking point of the bell (dwangja) is also in the shape of a lotus and sits between two of the heavenly maiden reliefs. The bottom of the bell is in a rhombic shape which gives it a unique look not found in other bells of East Asia. Chinese dragon, color engraving on wood, Chinese school, 19th Century The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile, with magical or spiritual qualities. ... Binomial name Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. ... For other uses, see Apsara (disambiguation). ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ...

The inscriptions on the bell, over a thousand Chinese characters, are fine example of East Asian calligraphy and carving and they provide detailed information about the bell and why it was cast. 漢字 / 汉字 Chinese character in Hànzì, Kanji, Hanja, Hán Tự. Red in Simplified Chinese. ... The word calligraphy means good writing. The art of calligraphy is widely practiced and revered in the East Asian civilizations that uses Chinese characters. ...

See also

• National treasures of Korea
• Korean Bell of Friendship

The Buddha statue at Seokguram Grotto, the 24th Korean national treasure. ... The Korean Bell of Friendship The Korean Bell of Friendship is a massive bronze bell housed in a stone pavilion in Angels Gate Park, in the San Pedro district of Los Angeles, California. ...

External links

• Cultural Heritage Administration