Stone Seated Buddha of Unmunsa Temple, Cheongdo

This is a stone seated Buddha of the Goryeo period, 0.63 m in height, enshrined at Unmunsa Temple in Unmun-myeon, Cheongdo-gun, North Gyeongsang Province. It is a complete image with both a halo and a pedestal, but a thick coat of white powder has been applied over it, obscuring the detail of its carving. Small, spiral-shaped curls of hair are attached to the head, above which a distinct topknot-shaped protrusion can be seen. The face is rather large in proportion to the body, and its thin eyebrows, small eyes, high-bridged nose and small mouth do not sit well together, giving a flat, two-dimensional impression. The robe is draped over both shoulders, beneath which an undergarment shown at a diagonal angle is visible. The right hand rests on the knee with the fingertips pointing down, and the left hand is placed at the level of the navel; the hands are small and not finely rendered, giving them a rather crude appearance. The halo, representing the light radiating from the Buddha's body, is of a plain, unrefined shape, with a formal flame pattern carved around its edge. The pedestal on which the Buddha sits is divided into three main sections and is notable for its highly unusual form: the uppermost section is a flat oval carved with fourteen lotus petals, the middle section is hexagonal, and the lower section is an elongated hexagon carved with eighteen lotus petals. The undergarment shown beneath the outer robe, together with the generally crude carving technique throughout, suggest that this is an early tenth-century image carrying on the style of ninth-century Buddhist statues.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물