Two Stone Standing Buddhas in Bohwa-ri, Jeongeup

These are two standing stone Buddha statues standing side by side on the slope of a low hill in Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do. They are of great significance as Baekje-period granite Buddhas made at the southernmost point of Baekje territory, and for displaying the pyeondan-ugyeon style of dress, which bares the right shoulder. The two statues share the same carving style, but the one on the right is slightly larger than the one on the left, suggesting that they were probably not conceived as a pair of twin Buddhas, or ibul-byeongjonsang. The larger statue on the right is largely intact, apart from a broken halo (gwangbae) at the back and the loss of the lower part of its pedestal. It has a shaven head crowned with a topknot-shaped protuberance called yukgye (uṣṇīṣa), similar to that of the Stone Seated Buddha of Gunsu-ri, Buyeo, another Baekje-period statue. The carving style of the statues resembles that of Baekje Buddhas of the same lineage, such as the Stone Seated Buddha of Gunsu-ri, Buyeo, and the Rock-carved Buddha Triad of Dongmun-ri, Taean. The most distinctive feature of the statues is their robe, worn in the ugyeon-pyeondan style that bares the right shoulder. They wear an outer robe (daeui) with the right shoulder exposed, with an undergarment (seunggakgi) and lower skirt (hagun) also visible. The smaller statue, whose right arm is missing, shows the same features as the larger one. Both the carving style and the right-shoulder-baring robe clearly display the characteristics of late Baekje Buddha statues. The pyeondan-ugyeon style of dress, which appears from the late Three Kingdoms period onward, is known to have been widely popular chiefly among gilt-bronze standing Buddhas in the tribhanga, or triple-bend, pose from the Silla region; however, the discovery of these stone statues has revealed that this style of dress existed in Baekje from an early period as well. The statues are estimated to date from the mid-seventh century, in the late Baekje period.

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Where it is

Region

Jeongeup, Jeonbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물