Beomeosa Temple Wonhyoam Hermitage Seated Wooden Avalokitesvara

This seated bodhisattva image has a square face, a blunt nose, and a head that is somewhat short in proportion to the body; among the features of its robe, the collar forming an inverted triangle on either side of the neck and the hem finished in a wavy, undulating line are all traits commonly seen in Buddha or bodhisattva images of the 17th century of the Joseon period. However, the deep horizontal drapery folds across both knees, together with the schematic and flat quality within a style still largely inherited from the 17th century, are features closer to bodhisattva images of the 18th century. These characteristics of the Wonhyoam bodhisattva image are especially close in style to the Seated Avalokitesvara in Beomeosa Temple's Daeungjeon Hall (1661) and the Avalokitesvara image in the Gwaneumjeon Hall (1722), suggesting that it was very likely made using the bodhisattva images at Beomeosa as a model. This work is recognised as important as a bodhisattva image enshrined at a hermitage of a branch temple of Beomeosa, which represents the Buddhist culture of Busan, and it shows a stylistic lineage similar to the 17th–18th century seated bodhisattva images enshrined at Beomeosa itself, making it valuable reference material for research on the Buddhist sculpture of the main temple and its branch temples. The Seated Avalokitesvara of Wonhyoam Hermitage is also recognised as important as one of the few 17th–18th century bodhisattva images surviving in the Busan region, and it is accordingly designated as a Busan Metropolitan City Tangible Cultural Heritage and preserved.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Geumjeong-gu, Busan

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산