Manjusri Mountain Rock-carved Bodhisattva Statue

This is an early Goryeo rock-carved Buddhist image carved into a rock face near the summit of Manjusri Mountain in Munchon-ri, Wonsam-myeon, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. About 50 m from the site there is a spot presumed to be the former site of a hermitage. There are two rock faces, each carved with a bodhisattva standing on a lotus pedestal, the two figures arranged symmetrically. As only the bodhisattvas were carved, with no principal Buddha at the centre, it cannot be known whether a central main icon originally existed in some form, or whether the carving of a principal Buddha was simply never completed. The bodhisattva on the left is carved in shallower relief than the one on the right. The two figures differ in that the right-hand one appears bare-headed, while the left-hand one appears to wear a crown. Otherwise the two show largely similar features, such as wearing nothing on the upper body and a skirt-like garment on the lower body. The bodhisattva on the left has a square, full face with relatively clearly rendered eyes, nose and mouth, and its short neck bears the samdo, the three creases symbolising the Buddha's wisdom. Its right hand hangs naturally down, while its left hand is held at the chest with the thumb and index finger touching. The bodhisattva on the right has a clearer smile, and its ears hang long enough to reach the shoulders; its two hands are held in a gesture mirroring the left-hand figure. The head, large in proportion to the body, and the simple, schematic depiction of the face and other bodily features reveal the style of the early Goryeo period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yongin, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산