Wooden Seated Amitabha Buddha and Excavated Relics of Baekdamsa Temple, Inje

This wooden seated Buddha, enshrined as the principal image in the Geungnakbojeon Hall of Baekdamsa Temple, depicts Amitabha, who dwells in the Western Paradise and bestows compassion upon all sentient beings; it was made in 1748, the twenty-fourth year of King Yeongjo of Joseon. Small snail-shell-shaped curls are attached to the head, and a large topknot-shaped protrusion rises prominently from the crown. The face is round and dignified, its narrow eyes, small mouth and straight nose giving it a distinctive expression. The upper body, with its broad chest and rounded shoulders, gives a dignified but somewhat flat impression, while the lower body is broad and substantial, harmonising with the upper body — features that mark this as a representative work among wooden Buddhist statues of its time. The robe covering both shoulders is rendered rather thick, its folds treated in curving lines, and the chest shows overlapping U-shaped folds, a feature carried over from early Joseon conventions. Regarded as an outstanding work among early eighteenth-century Buddhist statues, this wooden image is especially notable for the votive text recording the date of its making, together with the numerous relics found inside it.

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Where it is

Region

Inje, Gangwon

Designation

Treasure · 보물