경복궁은 조선시대 法宮으로서 최고의 궁귈이었으며, 근정전은 政殿으로 경복궁에서 가장 중심이 되는 건물로 신하들의 朝賀를 받거나 政令을 반포하고, 때로는 사신을 맞아들이기도 하던 곳이다. 근정전의 기단부 역할을 하는 月臺는 2단의 석축 방형기단으로 외곽에 난간석을 두르고 있으며, 난간석 위에는 여러가지 동물이 조각되어 있다. 경복궁은 임진왜란으로 소실된 후 270여 년간 폐허로 남아 있다가 高宗代에 이르러 재건되었다. 하지만 월대는 재료의 특성상 소실되지 않고 남아 있었던 것으로 추정된다. 본 논문에서는 난간석주상의 배치원리를 조선 전기의 사회상과 경복궁의 입지, 전체 전각의 배치와 연관하여 陰陽五行思想과 裨補厭勝을 적용하여 고찰해 보았다. 사신과 십이지가 방향에 맞게 배치되었다는 기존의 견해와 달리 경복궁 전체의 조영원리였던 역리와 음양오행을 월대 난간석주상의 배치에도 적용하여 배치원형을 추정하였으며, 현재 배치로 변화된 이유를 경복궁 풍수의 단점을 비보염승하기 위한 수단으로 해석해 보았다. 이와같은 배치는 조선만의 독창성이 표출된 것으로 조선의 건국이념이었던 성리학이 건축물에 반영된 예로서 그 의미가 크다고 할 수 있다. 난간석주상은 양감, 신체 외곽선과 면의 형태, 조각기법 등의 분석을 통해 Ⅰ양식과 Ⅱ양식으로 구분할 수 있었다. 또한 경복궁의 창건 및 재건 시점과 조선시대 기년작과 비교하여 난간석주상의 제작시기를 편년하였다. 그 결과 Ⅰ양식은 경복궁이 창건되고 법궁체제가 완비되는 태조~세종연간의 작품으로, Ⅱ양식은 경복궁이 중건되는고절연간의 작품으로 추정하였다. 근정전 월대 난간석주상에 표현된 소박하면서도 정겨운 인상은 한국적인 미감을 충실하게 표현한 작품으로 조선시대 최고의 석조물 중 하나로 평가받아야 된다고 생각한다. 또한 난간석주상의 배치원리는 다른나라에서는 찾아볼 수 없는 조선만의 독창적인 작품으로 성리학적 원리가 작품에 어떻게 투영되었는지에 대한 용례의 제시하는 것으로 연구의 의의로 삼고자 한다.
The Gyeongbok Palace was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty as well as the largest and most sumptuous of the royal palaces of this dynasty, The Geunjeongjeon Hall, meanwhile, was the central edifice in this palace, used as the royal audience chamber where the king met with his court to discuss the affairs of the state or proclaimed an edict, or received state envoys from neighboring countries. Stone step, the two-tiered square stone platform on which the building rests, is surrounded with stone parapets, sculpted with images of various animals, The Gyeongbok Palace was destroyed in a fire during the Japanese Invasions (1592-1598), and was then left in ruins for subsequent 270 years. The palace was rebuilt during the reign of King Gojong (1863-1907). The stone step, however, is from the original construction, as this stone structure survived the fire. This paper is a study on the principle of the arrangement of the stone parapet pillars of the Geunjeongjeon Hall, representing various animals. This study examines how the arrangement of the parapet pillars reflects considerations based on the yin and yang and five elements theory and the traditional geomantic principle known as “biboyeomseung,”’ while taking also into account the characteristics of the early Joseon society, the location of the Gyeongbok Palace and the overall distribution of buildings within this palace. This paper argues that, contrary to the widespread belief that the Four Guardian Gods and animals related to the 12 Earth’s Branches are placed in their standard order, their arrangement was influenced by the yin and yang and five elements theory which was the fundamental principle for the overall distribution of the Gyeongbok Palace, Meanwhile, the original arrangement of the parapet pillars was changed to the current one, this study argues, in order to remedy flaws in the geomantic disposition of the Gyeongbok Palace, following the principle of biboyeomseung. The Geunjeonjeon Hall’s parapets, original in its style of arrangement, are also significant as an example of architectural integration of principles of Neo-Confucianism, the founding philosophy of the Joseon dynasty. The parapet sculptures were divided into two styles, Ⅰ and Ⅱ, based on the feeling of volume, outlines of the body and planes and sculptural techniques, Meanwhile, by comparing them with other Joseon stone sculptures with known dates of creation, and basing the estimation on the dates of construction and reconstruction of the Gyeongbok Palace, a chronological order was established for their dates of creation, Through these steps, style-Ⅰ sculptures were dated to sometime between the reigns of Taejo (1392-1398) and Sejong (1418-1450), when the whole structure of the palace was completed and style-Ⅱ sculptures to the reign of Gojong when the palace was rebuilt centuries later. The sculptures of the stone step parapets of the Geunjeongjeon Hall, sober yet warm, faithfully embody the native aesthetic of Korea and deserve to be counted among the masterpieces of Joseon stonework, These sculptures are further distributed in a highly original manner, in an order not seen in neighboring East Asian countries. The significance of this study lies in the lights it casts on the architectural reflection of Neo-Confucian principles in this original stone edifice of the joseon dynasty.