Stone Standing Maitreya Bodhisattva of Gwanchoksa Temple, Nonsan

The stone standing Maitreya bodhisattva of Gwanchoksa, Nonsan, is Korea's largest stone Buddha, made around 968 by the monk-sculptor Hyemyeong at the command of King Gwangjong of Goryeo (r. 949–975). Designated a treasure on 21 January 1963, it was upgraded to national treasure when its standing in Goryeo belief and the history of Buddhist sculpture was reassessed. Records of the statue appear in the Yonghwahoe so by the late Goryeo monk Muoe, the Sinjeung dongguk yeoji seungnam (1530) and poems by the Goryeo writer Yi Saek (1328–1396), among others; together they show that it was made with the full support of the Goryeo royal house by outstanding sculptors of the day. The bodhisattva wears a tall cylindrical crown above hair combed to either side and holds a bronze flower in both hands. Its broad, clear features and overwhelming, unbalanced scale are counted a representative example of the most original and distinctive aesthetic in Korean Buddhist sculpture. Holding an unconventional and daring sense of beauty entirely unlike the graceful idealism of Unified Silla sculpture, it occupies an important place in Korean Buddhist belief and the history of sculpture, and it is outstanding in originality and completeness, fully deserving its status as a national treasure.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Nonsan, Chungnam

Designation

National Treasure · 국보