Hanging Painting of Daeheungsa Temple, Haenam (The Vulture Peak Assembly)

This gwaebul was produced under the direction of the master-painter Saekmin. It places Sakyamuni Buddha at the centre, with Manjusri Bodhisattva holding a ruyi sceptre (a wand symbolising the granting of wishes) to the left and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva holding a lotus flower to the right, while Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and Amitabha Buddha are set to either side of Sakyamuni's head-halo, forming a five-figure composition. This iconographic feature is thought to be a simplified version of the iconography found in the Ojongbeomeumjip (a collection of Buddhist ritual chants in five categories), which was widely followed in the Honam region during the eighteenth century and is also seen in the gwaebul of Naesosa Temple, Anjeongsa Temple, Cheonggoksa Temple, Unheungsa Temple and Dabosa Temple. The overall stable composition, the somewhat plump rendering of the figures, and the varied yet resplendent patterning of this painting show that Saekmin faithfully inherited the painting style of his teacher, Uigyeom. This work is therefore a valuable piece that carries on earlier iconography and style, and it can be counted among Saekmin's representative works.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Haenam, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Treasure · 보물