A research on the stone ornaments of Taesils of Joseon royal family

조선왕실(朝鮮王室)의 태실석물(胎室石物)에 관한 일연구(一硏究) -서삼릉(西三陵) 이장(移藏)원 태실(胎室)을 중심(中心)으로-

Rituals for burying the tae(胎) is a unique royal tradition of Korea that lasted from Unified Shilla(統一新羅) Kingdom to Joseon(朝鮮) dynasty. However, all of the currently known taesil(胎室)s are of the royal descendants of Joseon dynasty. Therefore, Taesils made earlier than Joseon dynasty are only known by historical documents. Taesils of the royal descendants of Joseon Dynasty divide into two kinds. One is for those of princes and princesses and the other is for those of Kings. The structure of taesils of princes and princesses is a stone chest(石函) in a pit which dug on the apex of the Taebong(胎峰) containing a pair of Tae(胎)-urn(the inner urn and outer urn), a stone tablet called Jiseok(誌石) which the date of baby's birth and Tae burial is inscribed in. And a tombstone-shaped stone tablet which called Taesilbi(胎室碑) was built on the ground. And the underground structure of Taesils of Kings is identical with that of taesils of princes and princesses, but instead of just an stone tablet, this has a Budo(浮屠);means stupa of a monk in korean)-shaped stone structure on the top of the stone chest, and an octagon-shaped porch was built around it, and a Tapbi(塔碑) was built. This treatise is focused on the current status and change process of stone ornaments. The subject of this treatise is 54 Taesils which were transferred to Seosamnung(西三陵) during the japanese occupation and Tae-urns and Jiseok(誌石)s from any other Taesil and its stone chest were not included in this treatise. Researches on Taesils can be great help to history by providing resources about genealogy of Jaseon royal family and social, economical status of that time. And researches on stone ornaments and tae-urns from Taesils can provide great help to stone art history and porcelain history of Joseon dynasty.