Stone Seated Amitabha Buddha of Birosa Temple, Yeongju

Birosa Temple is a well-known temple rebuilt by Jingong, an eminent monk of the late Silla and early Goryeo period. It houses two Buddha statues that originally each had both a halo and a pedestal, though the halos have since been broken and discarded. The Stone Seated Amitabha Buddha, 1.13 m tall, has a full, gentle face and imposing shoulders that reflect a realistic style close to actual appearance. The robe covers only the left shoulder, and the hands, lightly closed into fists with the palms turned upward, have their thumbs touching. The Stone Seated Vairocana Buddha, 1.17 m tall, has a neat face and a well-balanced body, showing the same realistic style as the Amitabha Buddha. The robe, covering both shoulders, falls in parallel, stepped folds that appear thinly moulded, giving a natural look. The hands are held with the right hand wrapped around the left index finger, the gesture generally taken by stone seated Vairocana Buddhas. Both statues, with their elegant yet clearly defined lines and posture, broadly resemble stone Buddhas of the late ninth century, and, in having an Amitabha Buddha and a Vairocana Buddha placed side by side, they are valuable works showing the characteristics of ninth-century Unified Silla Hwaeom Buddhism, the school centred on the Avatamsaka Sutra.

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Where it is

Region

Yeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물