Stone Standing Bhaisajyaguru Buddha in Pyeongchon-ri, Asan

This Buddha statue, carved from a huge block of granite, stands at the site of a former temple partway up the hillside in Pyeongchon-ri. Its upper body is short and its lower body long, giving it a somewhat unbalanced appearance, though the carving of the face and the drapery folds is skilfully done. Small spiral curls are attached to the head, above which sits a large usnisha, the topknot-shaped protrusion symbolising the Buddha's wisdom. Both ears hang long, down to the shoulders, adding to the statue's compassionate expression, and the lips are rendered smaller and thinner than the rest of the features, which is striking. The two hands, brought together at the chest, cradle a medicine bowl, showing that this is an image of Bhaisajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha said to heal the ailments of all sentient beings. The robe, draped over both shoulders, covers the figure down to the ankles, and its symmetrical drapery folds are distinctive. On the upper body the folds are rendered as lines, arranged as evenly spaced parallel bands. On the lower body they are divided into three strands at the front and carved in a U shape, with concentric-circle folds engraved at both knees. This treatment appears to be an extreme formalisation of a style popular in Buddhist sculpture of the Unified Silla period. In particular, the drapery folds at the knees are a distinctive technique that occasionally appears in Three Kingdoms- and Unified Silla-period statues, such as the Samhwaryeong Maitreya Triad and the Stone Standing Buddha in Seokgyo-ri, Yeongju. Although the face, faithfully rendered in a realistic manner, retains elements of the Unified Silla style, the symmetrical and regular drapery folds, the short neck and hunched-looking shoulders, and the rigidly upright posture all show a degree of formalisation, indicating that this is a work of the early Goryeo period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Asan, Chungnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물