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영어

The Korean term “tosu ” refers to the kinds of roof tiles that were used decorate the ends of the eaves of traditional wooden buildings. They were usually made with clay and fired in a kiln. However, it has been found that some tiles were made of metal, and they appear to have been used to decorate special buildings that symbolized authority and status. The National Museum of Korea displays eight large decorative roof tiles made of bronze that were handed to it by the Government-General Museum of Joseon. This study aimed to examine the possibility that these roof tiles were related to Gyeongbokgung Palace, based on their similarity with the roof tiles decorating the large buildings of Gyeongbokgung Palace. To this end, the study consisted in cross-checking such materials as the Gyeongbokgung yeonggeonilgi (Daily Log of Construction Work at Gyeongbokgung Palace) and the glass dryplates of the Governor-General of Chōsen, and in conducting both an investigation of the history of the buildings of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and an on-site investigation. The results of these investigations have confirmed that during the reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace in the reign of King Gojong, large bronze roof tiles were used to decorate Gyotaejeon Hall, Gangnyeongjeon Hall, Sajeongjeon Hall, Geunjeongjeon Hall, Geunjeongmun Gate, Heungnyemun Gate, Gwanghwamun Gate, Gyeongheoru Pavilion, and Sujeongjeon Hall, while different types of bronze roof tiles were used to decorate Geonchunmun Gate, Sinmumun Gate, Yeongchumun Gate, Dongsipjagak Watchtower, and Seosipjagak Watchtower. Furthermore, the results have led to the conclusion that the bronze roof tiles housed at the National Museum of Korea are likely to have been used to decorate the Heungnyemun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was destroyed in 1914 by the Governor-General of Chōsen during the Japanese colonial era, on the pretext that it was necessary to clear some space in order to hold the Joseon Local Products Expo (Oct. 1915).

한국어

토수는 전통 목조건물의 추녀 끝에 끼우는 장식기와로 보통은 흙으로 성형 후 소성하여 만든다. 몇몇은 금속으로 제작한 것들이 확인되는데, 이들은 특별히 권위와 위상을 상징하는 특수 건물을 장식했던 것으로 보인다. 국립중앙박물관에는 조선총독부 박물관으로부터 인수한 청동제 대형 토수 8점이 소장되어있다. 필자는 경복궁 대형 건물에 장식된 토수와의 형태적 유사성을 배경으로, 이 토수들이 경복궁 관련 자료일 가능성을 상정하여 관련 내용을 조사하였다. 연구방법으로는 『경복궁영건일기』, 조선총독부 유리건판, 경복궁 건물 연혁 조사, 현장 조사등으로 교차 검증하였다. 그 결과 고종대 경복궁 중건 당시 교태전, 강녕전, 사정전, 근정전, 근정문, 흥례문, 광화문, 경회루, 수정전 등에는 대형의 청동토수를 장식했고, 건춘문, 신무문, 영추문, 동십자각, 서십자각에는 이종의 청동토수가 장식되었던 사실을 확인하였다. 나아가 국립중앙박물관 소장 청동토수들은 일제강점기 조선총독부가 조선물산공진회 개최명목으로 1914년 훼철한 경복궁 흥례문의 장식기와가 유력하다는 결론을 도출하였다.