Crooked Pillars, Irony or Science ?
20171020
Ssang Gyeo Sa was very special on the decoration and ornament inside of the Daw Woong Jean, main praying room for Buddha.
Especially the pillars of the main building were impressive. The pillars were bent and crooked. It was amazing to me how these crooked pillars could sustain the weight of the roof. The roof of the traditional building was very heavy. Normally it looked like that it would be impossible to hold up the roof with these crooked pillars for several hundred years.
I was wondered that there was any enigma which couldn’t be explained in science.
Was there any irony that the crooked pillars could receive the weight of the roof better than straight pillars ?
Let’s see the pillars at first
Even main pillars of this building were crooked.
But this zigzag pillars made me feel natural beauty.
The crossbeam of this building was so marvelous for me.
The crossbeam of traditional Korean architectures was bent in many cases.
So bent crossbeam was not surprising, but the dragons above the crossbeam was exceptional.
I never had seen this kind of dragons in other temples.
The dragon was described realistically. The face of dragon was expressed with humor and wit.
It seemed that the dragons on the sky was looking down and protecting people who was praying in the room.
Last thing I thought special in this room was the patterns of ceiling.
Usually the patterns of ceiling were the lotus. The pattern of this temple was also the lotus.
But style was different from others.
These differences looked very unique compare to other temple.
It looks like minor, but this small differences implied so many things in development of Buddhist Art.
many lovely photos today, @slowwalker, inside the prayer room of Daw Woong Jean.
It's not unusual to have rough-hewn timbers which are often bent or slightly misshaped - the builders would simply cover the defects with paint and ornamentation.
The lotus and the dragons are not unexpected here, but provide a comforting atmosphere for the worshippers.
We are so used to modern building practices with the insistence on symmetrically machined beams and supports, but the ancients often made do with what was at hand.
In a way, the rough work of the structure allowed the artists to paint such colourful decorations which your photos skillfully display.
Good work, my friend.
thank you for your comment
you're welcome
Beautiful sight, are these for real or just work of art.
of course, real
I really enjoyed this post. The photo's were great!!
The old temple is awesome. Seeing the history from centuries ago, amazing!!
The dragons, now what is it with the dragons? Were they real at one time?
If not, why would they draw them. Very interesting. And interesting culture as well.
Good photos, I am a photographer, it passes for my blog and sees my content, I hope that it should be of your taste, you have my vote :D greetings
hmmm i will like to see your photographs
interesting blog and much informative curry on the same way
thank you
@slowwalker
You have done well.
I couldn't respond sooner because of Steemit site problems.
But I was able to finally see your blog post for today.
Your explanation made it so much easier for me to understand.
Thank you for all you do. We all appreciate what you do for us.
Especially I am because of you great support.
Francis
I am korean. But i've never seen that kind of dragon before. Amazing!! Thanks for sharing nice pictures.
It is amazing to see how these pillars could support this heavy weight of the roof mate and for all these years! But anyway there must surely be a reason for them to use this type of bent trunk. Lovely design as usual in the temples man!
I think the bent pillar is because the intelligence of the people first in designing the building, especially the temple building of the main building of Ssang Gyeo sa, it must be for the calculation to avoid damage from the earthquake. And the pattern of the ceiling is beautiful with lotus art, the development of culture and art of Buddha is amazing and beautiful..
one in a million !