Rare Korean Buddhist Printing Block (hand carved), Goryo Dynasty

Description: Rare Korean Buddhist Printing Block (hand carved), Goryo Dynasty In 1011, King Hyeonjong of Goryeo issued the carving of set of the Buddhist canon, which would come to be known as the Goryeo Daejanggyeong. The project was suspended in 1031 after Heyongjong's death, but work resumed again in 1046 after Munjong's accession to the throne. The completed work, amounting to some 6,000 volumes, was finished in 1087. Unfortunately the original set of woodblocks was destroyed in a conflagration during the Mongol invasion of 1232. King Gojong ordered another set to be created and work began in 1237, this time only taking 12 years to complete. In 1248 the complete Goryeo Daejanggyeong numbered 81,258 printing blocks, 52,330,152 characters, 1496 titles, and 6568 volumes. Due to the stringent editing process that went into the Goryeo Daejanggyeong and its enduring nature, having survived completely intact over 760 years, it is considered the most accurate of Buddhist canons written in Classical Chinese. This example is one such printing block from the same era and possibly from the Goryeo Daejanggyeong set. Size: End Blocks - 19" high, 10.5" wide. Print Area - 13 1/4" high, 7 3/4" wide.

Price: 550 USD

Location: Orinda, California

End Time: 2024-12-26T23:01:25.000Z

Shipping Cost: 35 USD