Iron Seated Vairocana Buddha of Jeungsimsa Temple,

This statue embodies Vairocana Buddha, who is said to preside universally over the realm of truth. It originally stood at Donggye-ri, Seobang-myeon, Gwangju-gun, Jeollanam-do, and was moved to Jeungsimsa Temple in 1934. Its halo and pedestal are now lost, but the statue itself survives largely intact. The head is skilfully covered with small, snail-shell curls of hair, and the topknot-shaped protrusion at the crown, the usnisha, is unusually tall and prominent. The eyes, nose and mouth sit in good proportion on a face touched with a gentle smile, giving the impression of a warm, human presence. The body as a whole is wrapped in thick robes that conceal its contours, yet it is well proportioned against the width of the knees, giving a sense of stability. The robe covering both shoulders leaves the chest broadly exposed, and the thick folds draped over the arms fall in regular, parallel lines. The hand gesture is unusual in that the left hand grasps the index finger of the right hand, the reverse of the form Vairocana Buddha usually takes. Although not an outstanding work in terms of carving technique, this Iron Seated Vairocana Buddha of Jeungsimsa Temple is valued for its unified sense of balance, and, together with the Iron Seated Vairocana Buddha of Dopiansa Temple (a national treasure) and the Iron Seated Vairocana Buddha of Borimsa Temple (a national treasure), is presumed to date from around the ninth century, in the late Unified Silla period.

AI Translation

Visiting

Visitor information: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1

Where it is

Region

Dong-gu, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Treasure · 보물