Gilt-bronze Seated Bodhisattva at Unbuam Hermitage of Eunhaesa Temple, Yeongcheon

The Gilt-bronze Seated Bodhisattva at Unbuam Hermitage of Eunhaesa Temple, Yeongcheon, is enshrined at Unbuam Hermitage of Eunhaesa Temple, which was founded in 809, the first year of King Heondeok of Silla, by State Preceptor Hyecheol. It is a compact figure 1.02 m tall, wearing an ornate crown decorated with flame, flower and paradise-bird motifs. The face is elongated, with the corners of the eyes slightly raised, and the whole body is wrapped in extravagantly ornate bead decoration. The rendering of the body is horizontal and without modelling, giving a somewhat formalised impression, yet also a sense of stability. This treatment resembles that of the Dry-lacquer Seated Bodhisattva at Jangyuksa Temple, Yeongdeok (Treasure), and the Gilt-bronze Seated Bodhisattva at Daeseungsa Temple (Treasure), both of which show regional characteristics. The banded creases on the neck (known as samdo, or the three lines), the knotted sash below the chest, and the drapery falling symmetrically over both legs all follow the typical style of bodhisattva statues from the early Joseon period. In this light, the statue can be seen as an early Joseon bodhisattva image that carries on the regional character of the Gyeongsangbuk-do area from the late Goryeo period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물