Seated Dry-lacquer Buddha

A dry-lacquer Buddha (geonchilbul) is made by shaping a rough form in clay, covering it with paper or hemp cloth, and repeatedly applying and drying lacquer until a certain thickness is built up; plaster or a similar material is then applied and carved where fine detail is needed, and the surface is finally painted or gilded. This statue has a cintamani finial jewel on its usnisha (the protuberance on the crown of the head), which is low and large, with an indistinct boundary against the head. A clear urna, the tuft of white hair, marks the centre of the forehead, and the lowered eyes and small, firmly closed lips give the face a meditative expression. Both hands, which rested on the knees, are missing. In dry-lacquer Buddhas the two hands were commonly made separately and inserted, but for some reason the wrist openings of this statue are now closed. Judging from the position of the arms, the hands are likely to have formed the dhyana mudra or Amitabha's meditation mudra, though this cannot be established with certainty, and the gap between the two hands is unusually narrow. The manner of dress is highly distinctive: a cloak-like outer robe, as though a shawl had been draped over the shoulders, covers both shoulders, and the undergarment across the chest is gathered into a ribbon-shaped knot. The figure sits in the full lotus posture with the right foot placed uppermost, in the so-called auspicious posture; both soles face upward, and the wheel marks on the soles are clearly carved. The knees are somewhat narrow, making the body appear relatively elongated. Judging from the facial features and the manner of dress — in particular the cloak-like robe covering both shoulders and the ribbon-shaped knot across the chest — the statue is presumed to have been made during the Ming dynasty of China.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yeonsu-gu, Incheon

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산