백제미의 발견 The Baekje Kingdom, Its Fine Arts and Aesthetics

백제의찬란한미술과사상을천착하다

백제미술은고대동아시아예술사의절정이자찬란한금자탑이었다.칠지도,무령왕릉,금동대향로,미륵사석탑,산경문전등그분야최고의걸작들이그것을말해준다.삼십사년간진주,청주,부여,대구,춘천등의국립박물관장을지낸저자는책의서문에서국립부여박물관에근무하던시절전시실의유물을둘러보며가슴속에깊은감동의전율을느꼈다고회고했다.감동은끈질긴탐구로이어져,2005년처음쓴논문을시작으로지금까지십년간지속적으로백제미술과관련한논문을발표했다.

저자는백제미술의전반을고루다루면서도특유의사유로심층적연구를펼쳤다.특히동아시아의거시적관점에서,명품들을생산해낸백제인의미의식과시대정신,고뇌와사상을명쾌하게분석했다.사상과미술은인간정신이다다를수있는최고의경지에서탄생하는것인만큼중요하고어려운주제이지만저자는‘정면승부’를하며걸작들을맞이했다.저자의특별한시각이담긴여덟편의논문을엮은이책은,백제미술연구의폭을넓혀주는동시에독자들에게는백제미술품을다양한각도로이해하는데도움을주는안내서가될것이다.아울러한세기또는반세기가넘는백제걸작에대한연구사에서,저자가펼친담론한편한편모두새로운이정표가될것으로기대된다.

이책에수록된논문여덟편의요지

「백제칠지도의상징」—칠지도는북두칠성,즉지극한양강(陽剛)의상징물

칠지도에대해서백년이넘는연구역사가있음에도독특한일곱개의가지형태로칼을만든이유에대한접근이없었던점에의문을품고,그것을칠지도명문과연결시켜추구했다.명문에서숫자‘칠(七)’이반복된다는점,백번단련한철로만들었다는점등을토대로칠지도가지극한양강의상징이자구현이라는것을밝혔다.

「무령왕릉조영의사상적배경」—유교사상을기반으로조성된무령왕릉

성왕이무령왕릉을조성했다는사실을강조하며,기존의불교적도교적배경이아닌유교사상을바탕으로새로운시대를꿈꾸었던성왕의첫시도가무령왕릉조성이었음을밝혔다.

「백제금동대향로의사상」—백제금동대향로에깃들어있는유교적성격

대향로꼭대기에위치한봉황은태평성대에출현하는상서(祥瑞)를의미하는데이는한(漢)유학의주요관념이라는점,봉황의바로아래오악사가있는데당시음악에유교적관념이농후했다는점등을들어백제금동대향로의도상에불교적성격과함께유교적성격이섞여있음을설명했다.

「미륵사와서동설화」—서동설화의진실,그리고법화신앙

무왕이미륵사를창건했다는역사적사실만을전제하고,선화공주의존재를비롯한이야기가모두불교설화이며,법화신앙이그배경을이루고있음을논증했다.2009년미륵사사리봉안기가발굴되면서이러한논증이모두사실로드러났다.

「미륵사사리봉안기를통해본백제불교」—사리봉안기텍스트분석을통해밝혀낸법화사상

미륵사사리봉안기(舍利奉安記)를하나의텍스트로파악하여그내적구조와체계를분석했다.사리봉안기문장에는감응과방편의법화사상이관통하고있으며,삼세(三世)와불신론(佛身論)개념을바탕으로모든부처가석가불로수렴되고확산되는법화신앙을표현하고있음을논증했다.

「백제문양전연구」—부여외리출토문양전에깃든우주관,그리고그체계확립의시도

부여외리(外里)에서출토된여덟개의문양전에담긴우주관을살피고,그여덟개의도상이지상의가장낮은곳에서천상의가장높은곳까지체계적으로서열화된것임을분석했다.

「백제서예의변천과성격」—동아시아적관점에서종합해본백제의서예

백제서예에관한그동안의개별적연구를종합정리하고,동아시아라는큰틀에서정치적인변동에민감하게반응했던백제의서예문화를조망했다.

「백제인의미의식」—‘온아미’로규정되는백제미의특징

그동안인상비평에머물러있던백제미에대한연구를정리하면서,백제미술품의아름다움을‘온아미’로규정했다.나아가백제불교의초월적신성의숭고함이우아함과결합하며한국미의새로운경지를열었음도부연설명했다.


Baekje’s Art is the pinnacle of ancient East Asian art history. Testifying to this fact are the Chiljido (seven-branched sword), King Muryeong’s Tomb, the Geumdong Big Incense Burner, the Mireuk Temple Stone Pagoda, and the San-gyeong-moonjeon (a decorated brick), each of which is one of the finest specimens of its kind. This book is the fruit of the 30-year research the author has done into Baekje’s Art as he served as National Museum Director in the Jinju, Cheongju, Buyeo, Daegu, and Chuncheon branches. Even as he touches on the overall scope of Baekje art, he conducts in-depth analyses, especially on the idea of beauty in Baekje culture, and the agonies and spirit of the Baekje period, which gave birth to so many masterpieces. This kind of analysis was done from the macro-view of the East Asian perspective. This book, which comprises eight theses the author has written, will widen the scope of research on Baekje art, while also serving as a guide to readers in helping them understand the art from various perspectives. Furthermore, amid 50 to 100 years of research into the history of Baekje’s art, it is certain that each of the author’s discourses will become a lasting landmark.


Lee Ne-Oak was born in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province. He majored in history in Junnam University and received a master’s degree in history from the graduate school there. He earned his Ph.D from the Korean History Department at Kookmin University Graduate School. During 34 years working for the National Museum, he worked as National Museum Director of the Jinju, Cheongju, Buyeo, Daegu, and Chuncheon branches, and as Manager of Relics and Asia Director of the National Central Museum. Acknowledged for his research in Korean Art History and contributions to Korean museums, he became the first Korean to receive the Asia Art Fellowship from the Asia Foundation in America. His representative works include 『Handling Cultural Artifacts』, 『Gongjae Yun Du-Seo』 among others, and books he participated in making include 『Temple Flower-Decoration Doors』(Selected as one of Korea’s 100 most beautiful books), 『Baekje』(Korea Design Awards Graphic Part Grand Prize), and 『Buddha’s Hand』(Seoul Printing Culture Grand Prize).