Jungheungsa Temple Stone Ksitigarbha Pensive Statue

This bodhisattva statue is housed at Jungheungsa Temple in Unpyeong-ri, Ongnyong-myeon, Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do. It is a pensive statue (bangasang) with the left foot raised and the right foot lowered. As it wears a hood, it is regarded as a depiction of Ksitigarbha, the bodhisattva associated with the salvation of souls. This form appears occasionally up to the early Joseon period, a representative example being the Ksitigarbha attendant statue beside the Amitabha Buddha at Muwisa Temple in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do. The face is square and shows signs of formalisation, yet is full and rounded, and although the body is somewhat heavy-set, it conveys a sense of warmth. The statue is distinctive in wearing a jangsam, the long robe worn by Buddhist monks. Only the lowest tier of the pedestal survives, carved with a layered lotus pattern, and there is also a footrest. This Ksitigarbha, depicted as a monk wearing a hood and jangsam, has an approachable quality, and is thought to date from the late Goryeo to early Joseon period.

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Where it is

Region

Gwangyang, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산