Wooden Seated Sakyamuni Buddha Triad of Songnimsa Temple, Chilgok

Enshrined on the Sumidan (an altar built in the shape of Mount Sumeru) in the Daeungjeon Hall of Songnimsa Temple, this triad follows the Sakyamuni triad format, comprising Sakyamuni Buddha flanked by Manjusri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. It is an enormous wooden Buddha image, the main icon alone standing 277 cm tall, close to 3 m in height. Despite its great size, the triad shows well-proportioned, stable body proportions and a dignified sense of form. The main Sakyamuni Buddha lowers the right hand below the knee and raises the bent left hand above the knee, forming the earth-touching gesture (hangmachokjiin, the mudra symbolising the Buddha's defeat of the demon Mara). The flanking bodhisattvas on either side show almost the same stylistic features as the main image, differing only in the position of the hand gestures, and both hold long lotus stems with both hands; the lotus stems, together with the crowns, are thought to have been repaired at a later date. Stylistically, the Songnimsa triad shows a robust, dignified form, a solemn facial expression combined with an unusual smile created by pressing in at the corners of the mouth, and drapery folds that are simplified yet convey a strong sense of force — features shared with Buddhist images produced during the reconstruction projects of the early to mid-seventeenth century, after the two great wars. This triad is a major work representative of the seventeenth century, the late Joseon period; a votive text found inside the images allows the exact date of production, the donors and the sculptor-monks to be identified precisely. It is a large-scale work made by eighteen sculptor-monks, including the chief sculptor-monk Dou (道祐 or 道雨), who belonged to the lineage of Muyeom, a sculptor-monk active in the first half of the seventeenth century. The triad is thus valued as a monumental work bridging the first and second halves of the seventeenth century, and as an important piece for research into schools of Buddhist sculpture.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Chilgok, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물