Wooden Amitabha Buddha Altarpiece of Yongmunsa Temple, Yecheon

Made in 1684, the tenth year of King Sukjong, this is the earliest known example of a wood-carved altarpiece — a Buddhist image assembly carved in relief from wood and set up behind the main Buddha statue in place of a painted altarpiece. Its basic form is a rectangle elongated from top to bottom, but round carvings depicting cloud-patterned rays are attached on either side, giving it a magnificent, ornate appearance. The face at the centre tilts slightly forward, rendered in a calm, plain manner as though looking down over the mundane world. Both hands rest on the knees, the left hand with fingers pointing upward and the right hand pointing downward, the thumb and middle finger of each touching — the mudra characteristic of Amitabha Buddha. The robe covering both shoulders is rather thick, and body and garment are distinguished only by a few simplified lines, so that without the folds the surface might almost be mistaken for the muscles of the body itself. The other figures are arranged in three rows — upper, middle and lower. In the lowest row the Four Heavenly Kings, guardian deities of the four directions, stand in a line, two to each side of the main Buddha's pedestal. In the middle and upper rows are placed eight great bodhisattvas, two to each side in each row, and beside the bodhisattvas of the upper row are two great disciples kneeling with hands joined, completing a well-balanced composition. The bodhisattvas are carved in the same technique as the main Buddha, and the spaces between the Buddha and bodhisattva figures are filled with clouds and rays of light. In front of the altarpiece stands a wooden triad of seated Buddha figures; on its main image a crescent-moon shape appears on the head, the body is rounded, and the robe is so thick that the body's outline is not revealed. It is certainly the work of the same sculptor, using the same technique as the altarpiece, but compared with the altarpiece's figures its chest is modelled more organically, showing the sculptor's particular care. A production record inscribed at the base confirms that the work dates to the reign of King Sukjong, and as an important source for the sculptural style of the late seventeenth century it carries very high historical significance.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yecheon, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물