Standing Hwacheon Seongbulsa Temple Epitaph Tablet Buddha

This Buddha image stands at the site of Seongbulsa Temple in Gandong-myeon, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and now lacks its head and neck. The upper and lower body were carved from separate stones and can be taken apart. The upper body, with broad shoulders and a well-developed chest, has an imposing appearance; a thin robe clings closely to it, further emphasising the narrow waist, and U-shaped folds are carved into the drapery over both shoulders. The schematic treatment of the folds lacks realism, and the immature carving technique gives it little sense of life. The right shoulder and wrist are broken, and the somewhat unnatural rendering of the two hands leaves their exact form unclear: the left hand appears bent, the arm slightly spread, resting on the left side of the chest, while the right hand hangs down with its back facing outward, the fingers held straight against the abdomen. In the lower body the legs are thinner than the chest and abdomen, giving far less volume than the upper body. The pedestal is a circular lotus design carved on a flat, square stone; above the lotus design a groove is cut to receive the body, and in front of it two feet are carved in relief to connect with the ankles. Compared with the short upper body, the lower body is so elongated that it makes up most of the figure, so that the proportions are incorrect and the image lacks realism and volume, giving the impression of a stone pillar. This stylistic feature is one commonly seen in standing stone Buddha images of the Goryeo period, and by comparison with other such images this one is presumed to have been made in the early Goryeo period.

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Where it is

Region

Hwacheon, Gangwon

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산