Stone Seated Buddha of Cheongnyangsa Temple, Hapcheon

This is a complete Buddha image, with the body, pedestal and halo (gwangbae, the nimbus placed behind a Buddha figure) all preserved intact. Above the head a small, topknot-like protuberance (yukgye) is shown, and the full, round face conveys a sense of strong will. The shoulders are broad and dignified, the chest well developed, and the arms and legs are rendered with rich volume, giving the figure a powerful posture. The robe draped over the left shoulder is carved very simply, with thin, parallel, step-like folds. The halo is boat-shaped, with the head halo and body halo each outlined by two lines. Flame patterns and flying celestial figures (bicheon) are carved along its edge, and a small Buddha is engraved above the head halo. The pedestal is square in plan and consists of lower, middle and upper tiers. The middle tier is square, and each of its four faces bears two carved bodhisattva figures of full, beautiful form. The lower tier is carved with lotus patterns, and beneath it, on one face, two of the Eight Legions (palbusin, guardian deities of Buddhism) are engraved. Overall, this seated stone Buddha, which emphasises volume and possesses both fullness and resilience, shows through the excellence of its carving and the elegance of its pedestal style and ornamentation that it is an outstanding work made in the ninth century.

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Where it is

Region

Hapcheon, Gyeongnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물