Seated Munsusa Temple Stone Amitabha Buddha

The Seated Munsusa Temple Stone Amitabha Buddha in Ulsan was made in 1787, the eleventh year of King Jeongjo, from a white stone known as 'Gyeongju bulseok', a stone quarried near Gyeongju. The statue is small, standing 28.3cm high, with a shoulder width of 12.6cm, a head height of 10.5cm and a knee width of 15.3cm, and its gilding has since been renewed. The face is slightly angular towards the chin but carries a gentle, soft smile. As is usual for images of Buddha, the robes consist of an outer robe covering the upper body over an undergarment covering the chest, and a skirt-like lower garment below; the thick robes conceal the outline of the body beneath. The right hand rests lightly on the right knee, while the left hand, with thumb and middle finger touching, lies palm-up on the lap. The votive objects recovered from inside the statue include a votive text written on dark blue paper, a yellow cloth wrapper, a diagram of the vajra deities of the five directions, a nine-syllable circular Cundi diagram, a painting of eight great red lotuses, and a small relic tube. The votive text among these objects shows that the statue was made by the monk Jiyeon, a noted painter active in the late 18th century, to pray for the rebirth in the Pure Land of his deceased parents and teacher, and that it was regilded in 1847 by Songam Daewon and Seogam Seungun. Because the date of the statue's production is so clearly established, it is a valuable resource for the study of the history of Buddhist art in the late Joseon period. It is currently on display at the Ulsan Museum.

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Where it is

Region

Ulju, Ulsan

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산