Iron Seated Amitabha Buddha of Baengnyeonsa Temple, Ganghwa

This temple is said to have been founded in 416, the fourth year of King Jangsu of Goguryeo, and the following legend is associated with it: during the Three Kingdoms period, an Indian monk searching for a temple site discovered, on Goryeosan Mountain on Ganghwado Island, a pond in full bloom with lotus flowers of five colours. He plucked the flowers and scattered them into the air, building a temple wherever each one fell; the spot where a white flower fell became known as Baengnyeonsa Temple, 'White Lotus Temple'. This Buddha image is enshrined there and follows the refined, restrained style that was popular in the late Goryeo period. The oval face, neatly rendered eyes, nose and mouth, narrowed shoulders, and the curved treatment of the hands and feet together create a restrained, solemn atmosphere. The robe is thick and its folds simple, though a distinctively shaped fold is rendered above the left elbow. The figure sits in the auspicious pose known as gilsangjwa, with the left foot concealed beneath the robe and the right foot exposed, and the sash covering the abdomen is arranged in a symmetrical knot and cord on either side. This treatment resembles that of the Buddha image at Janggoksa Temple in Cheongyang, among others. However, the bold, large-scale rendering of the robe's decoration, and the hem falling over the left calf, differ slightly and are very close in form to the Gilt-bronze Seated Buddha of Mincheonsa Temple, among others. Given the gilsangjwa pose, the refined appearance and the sophisticated technique, the work is presumed to date from the late 14th to early 15th century.

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Where it is

Region

Ganghwa, Incheon

Designation

Treasure · 보물