Sukkalam, both located near Kyongju. The Sukkalam contained a giant stone Buddha figure and fine relief carvings showing Chinese influence. Metalworkers of Silla period excelled in the creation of large bronze temple bells, which were often as tall as 13ft high. Also noteworthy are the elegant bronze figurines of Buddhist gods, such as that of Maitreya (7th century).Support of Buddhism by royalties during the Koryo dynasty (918-1392) encouraged the construction of new temples and monasteries. One of the best example being the "Hall of Eternal Life" of the 13th century Pusoksa, is believed to be the oldest standing wooden building in Korea. Although sculpture and stonework declined during the Koryo period, the aristocratic arts such as precious metalwork, lacquer inlaid with mother of pearl, and above all, ceramics reached new levels of quality and refinement. Porcelain making, introduced in late 11th century from China, was rapidly transformed by Korean artists into a distinctly Korean variant of Koryo Celadon. These unique blue green clay wares are regarded as among the most beautiful Asian porcelains ever produced. In the 12th century, the Koreans invented the technique of adding black or white clays into the celadon wares to produce delicate patterns of birds, flowers, and clouds.With the founding of the Choson dynasty (1392-1910), Buddhism was replaced by Chinese inspired Neo-Confucianism. Under the conservative formalism of Confucian concepts, the Korean art suffered a steady decline in the early periods of Choson dynasty. The autocratic monarchy tried to maintain close relationship with the court of Ming China and grand buildings, such as the 15th century Kyongbok Palace, were constructed in the new capital of Hanyang as an imitation of even grander Chinese Peking prototypes. In areas of painting, both the professional court artists and the upper-class painters relied heavily on Chinese themes and customs. Not until the 18th ...
