Gilt-bronze Pensive Maitreya Bodhisattva (1962-1)

A bodhisattva 80 cm high, seated on a stool with the right foot resting on the left thigh, the right elbow on the knee and the fingers touching the cheek. A Japanese collector acquired it in 1912 and presented it to the Government-General of Korea; it went to the Government-General Museum in 1916 and is now held at the National Museum of Korea. It wears an ornate crown, from which two ribbons fall to the shoulders on either side. The nearly square face is full, and the raised cheekbones and indented corners of the mouth make the smile. The upper body is commanding yet straight and slender, the lower body gracefully curved. The hands and feet are large against the slim arms and body. Supple, smooth, soft and rhythmic throughout, it has an elegance that is all its own. The scarf round the back of the neck and over both shoulders lifts like a bird's feathers, falls again across the chest, crosses at the left leg, passes both knees and winds down round the arms. The skirt looks rather thick, with U-shaped folds skilfully cut. The oval pedestal under the left foot is carved with lotus; the mandorla is lost, with only a trace left behind the head. When it was X-rayed in 1963 there were no flaws inside and no signs of repair, and its material and casting technique proved most unusual. For the balance of its pose, the beauty of its folds and the unfathomable, meditative face, it is thought to be a work of the mid-sixth century or just after, when the Korean bodhisattva image was fully achieved.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

National Treasure · 국보