【Treasures of Fukuoka】No.9 The Other “Gold”

Why does a Gold Seal, a national treasure found in Shikanoshima Island in Fukuoka, attract attention even until today? Is it because the seal symbolizes power? Do the inscribed characters still contain a lot of mystery? I think the most important factor why the seal grabs our attention, is the fact that it is made of gold, and thus, symbolizes wealth.

As a matter of fact, there is another gold-related cultural asset taken from Shikanoshima Island. It is a bell called Tokinsho (Important cultural property), made in Korea in the 13th century. It is made of gold and stands at 52.8 cm. The aperture is 30.5 cm and weighs about 30 kg, which makes it barely portable by an adult male.

The whole image of the gold-gilded bell (stored at Shikaumi Shrine)

The bell has characteristics typical of Korean bells, with a dragon's head motif, its body wriggling into an S shape, with a tube-like protrusion called the “Yo” in the upper area. There are nipple-like protrusions called “Nyukaku” on the body of the bell, hitting marks called Tsukiza, and Buddha figures that are finely inscribed on all four directions. The design is very elegant, unlike Japanese bells which are much simpler.

The most significant feature of the bell is that it is gold-plated. Gilded bells appeared in the Korean era, and such bells were rarely preserved in the world today. This bell has the best quality among them. Unfortunately, the entire body is covered in green rust, but at a closer look, you can see there are some golden parts on the surface.

Close up of the bell. The golden parts.

Historical records suggest that the bell was already considered as a treasure at the Shikaumi Shrine in the Edo Period and was called the “divine bell”. The same record also describes the bell’s surface as grinded! However, it doesn’t mention when the bell was brought to Shikanoshima Island.

But we know for sure that the Shikaumi Shrine enshrines ancestors of the Azumi family, who engaged in voyage or salt production in the vicinity of Shikanoshima Island since ancient times.

The shrine is one of the most well-known places in the Kyushu area that is sacred to the god of the sea. Perhaps it was for this reason that Shikanoshima Island was selected as a port of call for Japanese envoys, or "kenoto-shi." During the Heian Period, the island belonged to the imperial territory Chokoudo-Ryou. The island also played an important role in importing "karamono", foreign items highly admired by aristocrats.

Records also suggest that both Japanese and Korean diplomatic envoys visited Shikanoshima Island in the Muromachi period. Considering its history, the gilded bell must have been brought by someone who traveled between Kyushu and the continent at some point in the medieval period.

One other notable fact is that bells had been used as a denomination for the dragon, who is a god of the sea. Part of the bells is called “ryuzu”, which is “龍頭” when written in Chinese characters, meaning “dragon head.”  In some cases, bells were dropped into the sea as part of the ritual in praying to the sea god.

Bells were historically used to announce the time in temples, among other things. Gilded bells were, however, considered to be dedicated to the sea god in the Kyushu area, for its glitter and elaborate workmanship. The lofty image reminds us of divine objects we see in Korean dramas.