Rock-carved Standing Buddha in Samtae-ri, Cheonan

On a large rock on the hillside behind Haeseonam Hermitage on Taehaksan Mountain, in Pungse-myeon, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, a colossal Buddha image 7.1 m tall is carved, and traces remain on the rock above the image showing that a building once stood there. The face is carved in high relief while the body is rendered mainly through incised lines, a style typical of rock-carved Buddhas of the late Goryeo period, which helps to date this work. Above the bare head rises a large, round knot of hair resembling a topknot. The full, fleshy face, with its narrow eyes, large nose and small mouth, gives an even more rigid impression. The neck is so short as to be almost absent, so that the three lines that should appear on the neck are instead brought down to the chest. The shoulders are broad but flat, without volume, and the robe covering both shoulders is rendered heavily. Vertical folds are shown on the upper body and on both hems of the robe, while U-shaped folds are carved on the lower body; the folds are symmetrical left and right, revealing a formulaic treatment. Both hands are raised to chest height, the left palm turned upward and the right hand placed over it with the back of the hand showing. This is the hand gesture typical of images of Maitreya popular in the Goryeo period, and it reveals the identity of this Buddha image. In its overall form, facial expression and rendering of drapery folds, this rock-carved Buddha is an important, monumental work that clearly displays the sculptural style of Buddha images of the Goryeo period.

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Where it is

Region

Cheonan, Chungnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물