Stone Seated Buddha from Gunsu-ri, Buyeo

The Stone Seated Buddha from Gunsu-ri, Buyeo was discovered in 1936 during the excavation of a Baekje temple site at Gunsu-ri, Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province. Carved from steatite (soapstone), it is a distinctively Baekje Buddha seated on a tall, square pedestal. A small topknot-shaped protuberance (the usnisha) rises from the bare head. The square face is full of smiling cheeks, and the gently closed eyes, broad nose and smiling mouth convey a soft, gentle atmosphere. The robe draped over both shoulders is so thick that the outline of the body is barely visible, and the hem, flowing down from the shoulders to above the knees, almost covers the square pedestal. The rendering of these folds is soft yet resilient, full of realism. Around the chest the folds form a U-shape, while the drapery falling below the knees forms symmetrical Ω-shaped folds. The way the body's outline is concealed by the thick drapery, the narrowed shoulders, and the elegant hand gesture with both hands clasped together before the stomach all preserve older sculptural conventions well. In form and posture, this Buddha shows strong influence from fourth- and fifth-century Chinese Buddhist statues, yet details such as the facial features and the rendering of the body reveal a style that has been assimilated into Baekje forms, displaying the characteristics of a mature mid-sixth-century Baekje Buddha.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물