Monument to the Martyrdom of Yi Cha-don

This cuboid stone monument, known as the Monument to the Martyrdom of Yi Cha-don or the “Pillar for Yi Cha-don,” was moved to the museum from Baengnyulsa Temple, Gyeongju. It is thought to have been built in the 10th year of King Heondeok’s reign (818 CE), 290 years after Yi’s death. The monument has six sides, one of which memorably depicts the death scene: the ground shakes, and the world is showered with flower petals as a fountain of blood pours from Yi’s severed neck. These details were rendered in a simplistic manner onto a relatively small space. The five other faces of the monument were divided into a grid and inscribed with characters measuring approximately 3cm in height. Due to serious damage to the surface, only about half of the content has been deciphered, but the legible inscriptions coincide with records from the Samgukyusa(the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) and the Samguksagi(the History of the Three Kingdoms).