Seated Donghwasa Temple Yeomburam Hermitage Rock-carved Buddha and Bodhisattva

These images stand at Donghwasa Temple on the slopes of Palgongsan Mountain in Daegu, carved in outline on the west and south faces of a natural rock, triangular in shape and pointed at the top — a Buddha on one face and a bodhisattva on the other. The Buddha image on the west face, 4 m in height, sits on an ornate pedestal carved with lotus flowers. The face is square, the eyes are narrowly opened, and the mouth carries a faint smile. In relation to the height of the pedestal the knees are depicted rather broadly, so the proportions are not quite balanced, yet the figure still gives a relatively stable impression. Clothing is shown only below the abdomen, and although the carving is in simple line work, the refined technique of the pedestal is notable. The bodhisattva image on the south face, 4.5 m in height, wears robes that flow down long enough that the knees are not exposed. It wears a fan-shaped crown, and the short distance between nose and mouth gives it a somewhat unusual impression. The right hand is raised parallel to the abdomen, holding the stem of a flower between thumb and index finger. These two images, rendered in simple yet vigorous linear outlines, are presumed to date from the Unified Silla period.

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Where it is

Region

Dong-gu, Daegu

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산