Wooden Four Guardian Kings of Borimsa Temple, Jangheung

The Four Guardian Kings (Sacheonwang) are depicted in armour as dignified warrior figures who rule over the Four Heavens of the east, west, south and north. In Korea they first appear from the early Unified Silla period, and in the Joseon dynasty a separate Cheonwangmun (Gate of the Heavenly Kings) was built at the entrance to temples to house them. Facing Daeungjeon Hall, the Guardian of the East (Jiguk Cheonwang) and the Guardian of the North (Damun Cheonwang) stand to the right, while the Guardian of the South (Jeungjang Cheonwang) and the Guardian of the West (Gwangmok Cheonwang) stand to the left. The Guardian of the East wears a lavishly decorated crown and bears a wrathful expression; he is dressed in armour and a heavenly robe (cheonui). His build is powerful, his right hand grips the hilt of a sword and his left hand supports its blade. The Guardian of the North wears a tall crown and has a smiling, benevolent expression; his scholarly eyebrows and long beard evoke the gentle air of a literatus. He holds a bipa, a plucked lute, and beneath his foot a demon, seemingly in pain under the weight, supports his left leg. The Guardian of the South has a solemn expression with tightly closed lips; he holds a sword in his right hand, while his left hand is simply posed as if grasping something. His imposing physique conveys well his role as a guardian deity. The Guardian of the West has an awe-inspiring look, with wide-open eyes and an open mouth as if shouting. His right hand holds a banner, and his left hand, now empty, is thought to have once held a jewelled pagoda. Most Four Guardian King statues of the Joseon period wear Chinese-style armour, hold different attributes in each hand, and share the formal feature of trampling a demon underfoot. To this warlike, wrathful figure in an ornate crown with fluttering robes is added the compassionate air of a bodhisattva, seen in the hair that flows down from beneath the crown, curls around the ears and divides into several strands on the shoulders. The Four Guardian Kings of Borimsa Temple are considered to lead the way in establishing these features, giving them great significance in the history of Buddhist sculpture. Wooden plaques hung in the Cheonwangmun and the Borimsa Jungchang Bulsa Girok (Record of the Reconstruction of Borimsa Temple) show that the statues were made in 1515, the 10th year of King Jungjong, and subsequently repaired on two occasions. The Four Guardian Kings of Borimsa Temple are therefore the oldest surviving wooden Four Guardian King statues housed in a Cheonwangmun, and the only such set to predate the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598. Not only is the carving of each figure of very high quality, but the set is also valued as a precious work that established the standard for Four Guardian King statues of the Joseon period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jangheung, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Treasure · 보물