Seated Yeongwonsa Temple Wooden Buddha and Votive Objects

This statue, now displayed in the Woljeongsa Temple Museum of Buddhist Art, was originally enshrined at Yeongwonsa Temple in Geumdae-ri, Panbu-myeon, Wonju, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. The Buddha's hair is carved in tight snail-shell curls, above which a small crown jewel sits at the very top of the head and a clearly defined half-moon-shaped jewel marks the centre of the topknot. The mouth is small, the ridge of the nose projects from between the eyebrows, and the outer rim of the ear stands upright, curving outward down to the earlobe. The baekho (urna, a boss representing a tuft of white hair between the eyebrows) is attached at the base of the nose and projects slightly. The upper body appears somewhat elongated, but the broad width of the knees gives the figure a sense of stability. The robe covering both shoulders is thick, forming a "W" shape in front of the abdomen, and an undergarment crosses horizontally across the chest. Both hands rest above the knees with palms turned upward, thumb and middle finger touching; the right hand was restored at a later date, and the original broken right hand is kept separately. Judging from features such as the expressionless, composed face, the densely and meticulously carved curls, the nose and small urna, the distinctive treatment of the ears, and the thick robe covering both shoulders with its rendering of drapery folds, this seated wooden Buddha is presumed to have been made around 1700. The votive objects found inside the statue (bokjang, sacred objects placed within a Buddhist image at its consecration) include one volume of the Neungeomgyeong eonhae (a Korean-language translation of the Surangama Sutra), one volume of the Beophwagyeong eonhae (a Korean-language translation of the Lotus Sutra), and other items including a single cylindrical huryeongtong (a container for sacred relics and grain) and two wrapping cloths. The Neungeomgyeong eonhae is an edition published in 1462, the eighth year of King Sejo of Joseon, by the Gangyeong Dogam (the directorate for publishing Buddhist scriptures), and it provides important material for the study of medieval Hangeul. The Beophwagyeong eonhae carries a colophon showing that it is the Ssanggyesa Temple edition published in 1545; it survives as volume 2, comprising folios 171 to 260. The single huryeongtong is a cylindrical container made of bronze, 10cm in height and 3m in diameter. The two wrapping cloths are green and red; the green cloth bears an inscription reading "Bak-ssi gapja," and the objects also include five grains and amber, among others. The Yeongwonsa Temple wooden seated Buddha displays the general characteristics of late Joseon Buddhist statues, and being in good condition, it is a valuable resource for studying the Buddhist sculptural style of the late Joseon period, especially the eighteenth century. It is also considered valuable for the votive objects found inside it, such as the Neungeomgyeong eonhae and Beophwagyeong eonhae.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Pyeongchang, Gangwon

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산