Bodeoksasaseongjeon Hall Altar Painting and Votive Objects

Made in 1868 (the 5th year of Emperor Gojong), this painting is not old, yet it fully embodies the typical characteristics of Buddhist paintings from the mid-19th century onward: the brushwork and composition, the facial features of the Buddha and bodhisattvas, the ushnisha rising like a mountain peak together with its crown jewel, and an overall palette dominated by red and blue. It is extremely well preserved and thus of great conservation value. This altar painting was originally enshrined in the Saseongjeon Hall of Bodeoksa Temple, in Yeongheung-ri, Yeongwol-eup, Yeongwol County, and was moved to the Woljeongsa Temple Museum of Buddhist Art on 2 September 1998, where it remains on display. According to the production record (hwagi) and a votive text (wonmun) found in the votive pouch, the painting was made in 1868 (the 5th year of Emperor Gojong) by the monk-painters Jau, Chang-u and Chang-taek. It is a hubultaenghwa — a painting hung behind the main Buddha image — with a large seated Buddha at the centre flanked by standing bodhisattvas. The central Buddha holds his right hand raised to shoulder height with thumb and index finger touching, and his left hand above the ankle, palm upward, with thumb and middle finger touching, forming the mudra of preaching the Dharma (seolbeobin). The Buddha's face is close to square, with finely arranged features; above the snail-shell curls of the hair rises a tall, pointed ushnisha, with a prominent crown jewel at the crest and a crescent-shaped jewel clearly rendered at its centre. In front of the central Buddha, on the right, is the child Bohyeon (Samantabhadra) riding an elephant, and on the left, the child Munsu (Manjushri) riding a lion. On either side of the Buddha stand bodhisattvas wearing ornate crowns and holding sprays of flowers, and behind them the Ten Great Disciples are arranged five to each side. Thanks to its production record, both the exact date of production and the names of the painters are known, and the work survives in excellent condition. Furthermore, the brushwork and composition, the facial features of the Buddha and bodhisattvas, the mountain-like ushnisha and crown jewel, and the overall colour scheme dominated by red and blue are all typical features of Buddhist paintings from the mid-19th century onward. Among the votive objects, the wonmun (votive text) records the prayers made on the occasion of the painting's production in 1868 (the 7th year of the Tongzhi era, the 5th year of Emperor Gojong); other votive objects include two dharani prints and one huryeongtong (a sealed container of consecrated objects). Votive objects: the votive objects were kept in a pouch hung at the top of the painting, and include one wonmun (votive text) and a huryeongtong (throat-bell container), among other items listed in the "Ritual for the Enshrinement of Votive Objects in Buddha Images" chapter of the Josanggyeong (Sutra on the Making of Images). The wonmun records prayers made at the time of the painting's production in 1868 (the 7th year of the Tongzhi era, the 5th year of Emperor Gojong), its content similar to that of the production record. Two votive pouches hang at the top of the painting, one on either side of the central Buddha; each consists of an upper section shaped like three mountain peaks and a lower, oval section. The huryeongtong (11 cm wide, 3.3 cm deep, 15 cm high) is a square container made of paper, with a single red Sanskrit letter written at top and bottom; inside are five-coloured threads wrapped in paper of five colours (red, yellow, white, blue and green). Also preserved are the cloth wrapper used to wrap the huryeongtong, the palyeopdaehongnyeonju (an eight-petalled lotus mantra), the round "heaven" and square "earth" diagrams (the latter showing an array of vajras), two mantra sheets written in Sanskrit letters (26 × 21 cm and 19.8 × 19.8 cm), the seed-syllables of the five wheels, mirrors of the five directions, and small sheets of paper each bearing a single Sanskrit letter. Together these form a valuable body of material illustrating the full range of votive objects described for the enshrinement of Buddhist images in the Josanggyeong.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Pyeongchang, Gangwon

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산