백제 미륵사지 석탑 사리장엄 직물의 봉안위치와 제직 유형 분류

Abstract

The MireuksajiSeoktap is a stone pagoda from the period of King Mu(AD639) of Baekje, which was sealed inside the Reliquary of Sarira of pagoda at the time of its construction, was discovered in 2009 during a disassembly investigation. One relic found inside the Reliquary of Sarira was textile, which had remained therein because of exclusion of outside air from the container. Various kinds of plain woven silk such as Geum (brocade, 錦), Neung (twill damask, 綾), Sa (simple gauze, 紗), and Ra (4-end complex gauze, 羅) were found alongside golden thread and embroidery work. These types of textile are of the highest quality produced in ancient East Asia at the time, and are of a gorgeous style thanks to the textile’s own characteristics, as well as to the weaving, dying, and embroidery techniques used to embellish the textile. In particular, Gyeonggeum (silk-golden with borders, 經錦) and Ra embroidered with golden thread, which were considered the most precious textiles at the time, were also found, as well as textile samples in various shapes that were used to wrap offerings to Buddha. As excavation of ancient textile is a very rare incident, the textiles from the Mireuksaji Stone Pagoda can serve as specific references that reveal the weaving techniques of its period. This finding is particularly significant to research on ancient textiles of Korea, as the relics can be compared with samples discovered from other Sarira Reliquaries of Baekje, Shilla, and China. We anticipate that these important relics will be properly treated for long-term conservation so that further information can be obtained from them to supplement existing findings from previous investigations.