IV.

Unified Silla (668-935)

The unification of Korea under a powerful Silla monarch stimulated continued artistic growth within the native styles. The technology for highly refined, glazed stoneware was attained during this period and laid the foundation for the remarkable celadon ware of the succeeding dynasty. Buddhism continued to exert a powerful influence in Korean art, with gilt bronzes of the Three Kingdoms period joined by sculpture in gold, cast iron, and stone. Temple building proliferated, and the remains of numerous sites still exist. The Sŏkkuram cave temple, built high on a mountain near Gyeongju in 751, is still in a remarkable state of preservation. Evidence also remains of secular architecture, such as the oldest known observatory in East Asia. The Chomsongdae observatory, which is some 6 m (some 20 ft) high, attests to the level of scientific skill attained by the Koreans in the 7th century.