Stone Standing Buddha in Nongsan-ri, Geochang

This stone Buddha, standing at the foot of a low hill in Nongsan-ri, Geochang, follows the typical style of Unified Silla Buddhist sculpture. As a standing image, it is made of two stones: a pedestal formed from a roughly shaped natural stone with the two feet carved into its upper surface, and a Buddha body carved from a single stone together with its mandorla, made to be set into the pedestal. The head is somewhat large in proportion to the body, and although the face is partially damaged, the overall impression is generous and benevolent. The robe, covering both shoulders, forms a U-shaped fold at the chest before dividing into a Y-shape at the narrow waist, creating symmetrical folds over both thighs in the so-called Udyana-style robe pattern. This style, seen in the sandstone standing Buddha in the National Gyeongju Museum dated to around 700 in the Unified Silla period, the 719 image at Gamsansa Temple, and the standing Buddha on the south face of the Four-Sided Stone Buddha at the Gulbulsa Temple Site in Gyeongju, dated to around 730-760, is a stylistic feature of images from the eighth century onward, and helps date the creation of this statue. The two feet are carved separately on the pedestal, apart from the body, but are badly worn and damaged, with only part of the left toes retaining their form. The mandorla, broken away at the upper right, is a boat-shaped whole-body halo carved from the same stone as the body; it retains something of its original form, though specific decoration such as flame patterns can no longer be identified. Although partially damaged, this Buddha is a valuable image that remains in its original location on a hillside, notable for its relatively large scale, refined carving technique, and the rarity of comparable examples.

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Where it is

Region

Geochang, Gyeongnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물