Dry-lacquered Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva of Jangnyuksa Temple, Yeongdeok

This is an early Joseon-period dry-lacquered seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, 86 cm in height, at Jangnyuksa Temple in Yeongdeok, Gyeongsangbuk-do. A dry-lacquer statue is made by building up a clay core, wrapping it in hemp cloth, coating it with clay powder, and then removing the clay core once the outer layer has set. A votive text and an inscription in ink recording the regilding, both found inside the statue, reveal that it was made in 1395, the fourth year of King Taejo (the twenty-eighth year of the Hongwu era), through donations from officials and villagers of Yeonghae-bu, and was regilded in 1407, the seventh year of King Taejong (the fifth year of the Yongle era). The face is square, with eyes that turn up sharply, a sharp nose, and a stern expression. The upper body leans deeply forward and is relatively sturdy; although square in build, the shoulders are natural and the chest shows some sense of volume. The right hand is raised to the chest with the thumb and middle finger touching, and the left hand is lowered below the knee with the thumb and index finger likewise touching. Compared with bodhisattva statues of the early fourteenth century, the ornamentation here is more pronounced: beyond the necklace at the chest, beadwork is elaborately carved even onto the sleeves, belly and legs, giving an impression of ornateness verging on excess. The robe draped over both shoulders leaves the chest open, where the knots of the undergarment and trousers are shown. Made in the early Joseon period, this bodhisattva statue influenced later works such as the Wooden Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva of Pagyesa Temple, Daegu (1447) and the Bronze Seated Bodhisattva of Unbuam Hermitage, Eunhaesa Temple, Yeongcheon (1516). Because its date is known precisely, it serves as a benchmark for dating bodhisattva statues of the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods.

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Where it is

Region

Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물